


Purple sun

by Fangirlingyep



Series: Colored Suns [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, Deaf Character, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Homosexuality, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, One Big Happy Family, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Physical Abuse, Selectively Mute Character, Slurs, he's lowkey salty 24/7, no reader-insert, or at least the narrator, poncho is the main character this time, shye is an oc, the assholes who said slurs got the shit beaten out of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlingyep/pseuds/Fangirlingyep
Summary: GUESS WHOS BACK FROM THE DEAD? heh, im rewriting my old fanfic. Yeah so chapter 1-5 of my old fic is just chapter one in this one, just as like fair warning. I read 'bones picked clean' saw how long the chapters were and i've officially lost my entire mind.now for the actual summary: Shye keeps stumbling on to these tiny creatures, and she wants all of themorPoncho gets a found family in 7 easy steps
Relationships: Bitty x Bitty, Bittybone(s) (Undertale) & Original Character(s), bittybone(s) (undertale)/ eachother
Series: Colored Suns [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566610
Comments: 31
Kudos: 53





	1. Vaguely living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HIIII~~ im back!!! this was like 20 pages in google docs and I am suffering

**Chapter One**

The papy bitty stumbled through the ally way, finding that the effort thinking required was for bittys that weren't doing a death march. His sockets were dry and unfocused. Everything around him looks like ill-defined blobs to the eyes that he hasn't closed in days. The coat of magic protecting his fuzzy eyelights wearing off.

Vague shadows passed though his sight. He ignored them, he didn't care to figure them out. What the shadows were didn't matter. What did matter was moving forward, all he could do is move forward. 

What had begun as a determined run, turned into a hopeless walk, was now a desperate stagger in a general direction. At worst a barely conscious crawl. 

He didn’t remember how long he was doing this. There was a deep ache that came with each movement, he could feel his own magic eating itself, he could barely keep his eyes open he was so tired. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind, it had been a while, a couple days at least. He didn’t bother keeping track of time, he just moved in that one direction. 

He slammed forward, after a particularly bad stumble that made him fall. His shattered ribs shrieked in protest at any more abuse. 

He decided once again, like he had done so many times, that he wasn't going to accept the tempting end of closing his eyes and not opening them again. Once again he decided he wasn’t going to lay down and die. Once again whether he was going to die or not was of no concern, he wanted the knowledge that he didn't lay there without a fight.

He pushed himself up on broken arms, each individual fracture screaming in protest. 

He stood, and began to shamble in the direction he had been going. 

Without even taking his first step after clawing himself off the ground, he gets pulled up very quickly.

It took him several very disoriented and confused minutes to realize that he was in a human hand. 

He expected some sort of fear from himself, a bolt of panic, literally any sort of emotional reaction. 

All that greeted him was a numb disinterest, and the casual thought that he was either going to die horribly or live happily. 

He felt detached and unconcerned about the situation, like it was all happening to someone else. Like he was watching a movie that he could turn off at any point he wanted to, and go back to his life.

He stared at the human, blinking wearly trying to get a clear image of the fuzzy human shaped thing in front of him. 

It was dark on top of his horrible sight, he mused if starvation caused sight problems while the human brought him close to their warm body. 

He could feel them walk, he could feel the magic radiating from their soul. He laid down and passively let the magic wash over him. 

Some of his strength returned, enough to know if he rested his aching bones he wasn't going to die as soon as he stopped fighting. 

Maybe he could get the sleep he had been ignoring for the past few days in fear of dying without the active perseverance. 

He lied there for what felt like hours, and he recognised it as a couple minutes. 

He didn't fall asleep, he just stared at the cracks in the human hands that brought light. No matter how overworked his broken down body was, sleep refused to come. 

Every time he closed his eyes a dim spark of dread flickered in his soul, and he opened his eyes soon after.

He felt good knowing he had some self preservation left.

That was it, wasn’t it. He didn't know who this human was, he didn't know where this human was taking him, he didn't know why this human was carrying him. 

He recognized it as his muddied and dismal survival instincts, the same thing that had kept him from laying in the sharp grip of death so many times, forcing him awake.

The idea of sleeping in some strange humans’s hands brought with it muted anxiety that he was going to be taken somewhere horrible. He was still too empty and weak to do anything, so he laid there immobilized. 

After a while of being so disassociated he couldn't feel the pain, he heard a new sound. 

His consciousness was shot back into his body, and the light barrier that his soul made around itself was shattered. The agonising pain was back, and he heard the sound again. 

It took a couple seconds but he eventually recognized it as the jiggling of keys, the clicking of a lock and the opening of a door. The human stepped inside what was most likely a house, shoes clicking on what sounded like hardwood floors. 

The human set him down on a cold surface with bright lights, and there was the clanking of metal behind him. He guessed he was in the kitchen. 

Water running, water in a bowl, set somewhere. A fridge opened, something was taken out. The footsteps get louder and closer to him. 

His back is lifted, supporting him into a sitting position. A tea is poured down his throat. Magic pushed through and mended his shattered bones, finding the strength to grab whatever had the healing liquid in it and drink himself. 

He blinked, his eyes lit up. Pinpricks fizzle back into existence.

He looked at the small medicine bottle he was holding, too big for him to actually use. Looking up from the bottle he could see the large hand holding it, so the bottle didn't crush him. 

After finishing the entire bottle, the human removed it. He laid down staring at the ceiling, the painful throbbing in his bones washing into a dull sting. 

He rubbed his eyes, the world became clear, his arms stabbing in pain. 

He glared at his still broken arms, he realized it must be the intent. 

Margret, that woman broke who his arms, the rib cracks were from falling. Her hatred and drive to hurt him must make his arms harder to heal. He glared at the sharp fluorescent kitchen lights. 

His anger drained, ‘If a human can use their intent to hurt me, a human should be able to use intent to fix me’. 

He pushed himself back into a sitting position, looking around. It was a small kitchen, ‘or my old mama was just rich’. He silently just agreed that his old mama was just rich, remembering her gloating about her wealth. 

He rolled his eyes, ‘despite all her money she never had the basic necessities for me’. 

He continued to look around. The rooms were much smaller than he was used to but so much more full of life. 

The entire house was purple black and white, with random ticknacks thrown everywhere. Magazines with highlighter all over them thrown haphazardly around the kitchen, with random spices out. 

The living room looked much nicer, with a large number of blankets and pillows on the couch if it were more like a bed. Costers all over the coffee table, and a pretty looking but disorganized bookshelf that was filled to the brim. 

The tell tale click of heels signal to him that the human had returned, he turned to face her. She was tall and dark skinned, with a flat expression. She was wearing high waisted pants and a sweater, with a long braid of smaller braid. 

She looked like the type of woman his Old mama would complain about when she saw someone like her on the television. He never bothered to figure out why. 

The woman walked over to the sink, grabbed a bowl and filled it with water. She then set the bowl down next to him, walking grabbing a rag and coming back. She had round sunglasses on her head, and was wearing sandals inside the house. 

She took off her tucked in sweater, walking into the living room and throwing it on the couch. Left in only an undershirt. Scars littered her back, but the rest of her skin was without injury. 

She walked back over to him, regarding him for a moment. She gestured to the bowl and rag making a vague washing motion, before walking away. 

He looked down at himself, and cringed hard. ‘I look disgusting! How much dirt was on me?!’ He could almost feel every particle of dirt that clung onto him. He felt the immediate compulse to personally scratch and burn his bones clean. To make sure every molecule of dirt was completely off of him.

He looked at the bowl once again, with his broken arms how was he supposed to get in there? How was he supposed to get off his old nasty clothes? How was he supposed to get this disgusting grime off himself?

He heard the sound of the human once again, turning to her. 

She blankly looked at him, frowning. Shifting her head towards the bowl again. He frowns and shakes his head. He opened his mouth to speak, coughing before being able to speak. “mY ArMS aRe BrOKeN.” He gestured to cracks in his arms at the same time. 

Ignoring the pain, he silently cringed at the sound of his own voice. It was cracked, weak and inconsistent. He hated it, he hated Margret. She did this to him, she broke him like this. If no one loves him again, it's her fault. She ruined him, for stupid vapid reasons. ‘Hopefully my next human won’t mind flaws.’ 

The human woman picked him up, pulling off the disgusting rags for clothes that stuck to his bones, and setting him into the warm water. He watched the dirt fall off his bones, grabbing the rag from the bowl and a piece of soap falling out of the cloth.    
  


He tried his hardest to wash off the accumulated dirt and grime of being abandoned and left to wonder alleys. He pointedly ignored any and all pain pain from his still cracked arms, the cracks were the equivalent of deeply bruised. Moving them hurt, a lot, but to him being clean was worth the pain.

The human must have seen this, because she put the soap on the rag, picked him up and washed his bones. He found it deeply uncomfortable, but if he went one more second covered in dirt he would lose his mind so he let it happen. 

Eventually being set down, and put in too small clothes. He vaguely guessed were for grillbittys. ‘Did she adopt grillbittys? Normally they would come out and see what's going on. Which means she doesn't have any grillbittys, then why does she own the outfit?’ 

He pondered the strangeness of the situation while being set down. The human putting the bowl in the dishwasher after pouring out the water, then taking the rag and tossing it into a basket in front of a door off the kitchen. 

She turned to him, an almost angry looking face. 

He squirmed under the gaze. 

‘Is she already mad at me? Was my voice that annoying?’ 

He cringed “I aM SorrY.” His voice wasn't perfect, but it was much more even than before. She sighed and shook her head. 

Dull anxiety coursed through his bones. ‘Did I already make this human mad at me? Am I really that unloveable, was she right?’ 

The human lifted her arms. She pointed at her ear and shook her head.

He blankly stared at her.

“yOU CaNT hEaR?” 

He cringed inwardly, if she can't hear there's no use. Snapping his mouth closed. 

She laughed, very loudly. ‘Because she can't hear herself.’ He smiled back, she didn't look mad anymore. He walked over to the edge of the counter, pushing up on his tippy toes. Trying to imply that he wanted to be picked up.

She walked over and lifted him up allowing him to cuddle in her arms, as she walked over to her room setting him on her pillow. 

He watched her toss her boots off and glasses and crash face first into her pillow. She started laughing again, poking his nasal bone and tucking him under covers before both of them passed out. 

  
  


He woke up in a panic, tangled up in blankets swinging wildly to get untangled. Flailing out of the covers.

He laid on his back, arms burning in pain. He glared at the ceiling, blaming the universe at large for his awful nightmares, and panicked awakening. He couldn't even remember what the dream was about, which only served to make the annoyance deeper.

He could hear the shower running, assuming that his new human is taking a shower. 

He caught himself. ‘New human? Does she even want me? Is she going to take me back to the center?’ 

He frowned, deciding not to bother stressing over his future. He just laid there for a minute, listening to the water before getting up again. 

He walked to the door, on air an ability of the little brother class, and opened the door. Walking in a spiral formation ending back on the floor

He looked around the room before he left, it was very... purple. ‘It must be her favorite color.’ The walls to the carpet by her floor were purple, and most of the nicknacks were purple, and her entire bed- purple.

Her shelves were filled with, what he could only guess based on the name, trashy romance books. There was a comic book poster, Tv show posters, and movie posters all around.

‘How does she watch movies if shes-’ He sighs. ‘Subtitles, how did I forget subtitles.’ All of them looked like down to earth familial love based or high romance. 

He pulled the bedroom door open, and walked through the hallway. Coming upon the living room, he walked on air to get on the couch. Promptly after getting under the blankets, he falls half asleep. 

  
  


He is startled awake by a robotic voice. ‘What wa-’  [  W H E R E A R E Y O U B I T T Y  ] ‘What in the stars is that?!’ He scrambles into the covers, then paused.

‘She's deaf, she's never heard anyone talk… she communicated through her hands…’ He kicked the blankets in frustration. ‘She’s using her phone to call out to me, and i’m dumb.’

He crawled out of his blanket burro, listing for the sound of her. Hearing the sound in the kitchen he makes a B-line. 

He stands on the table, using the bone attacks to catch her attention. Eventually she noticed the attacks whizzing by her head, and turned to him. Sighing in relief she picks him up, and hugs him to her chest.

She set him back on the table, and walked over to the fridge. Grabbing what looks like a half empty gallon of sea tea, and grabbing the medicine bottle from yesterday that's been rinsed out. 

She fills it up with some sea tea, and comes back. Holding the bottle up to him.

He drinks it and the magic rushes to his arms, healing a good number of the cracks in his bones. Though not all of them. 

He looks at his arms. ‘Why? Why aren't they healing all the way?! Why do they look weird?!’ A comforting tap on his back, and the intent of consoleing washed over him. He fought against it at first, but then just calmed down. His own anger and sadness deaden her calming intent.

She tapped on her phone.  [ W E A R E G O I N G T O T H E A D O P T I O N C E N T E R ]

He just nodded, and laid there exhaustedly while she carried him to the store. 

The sun was too bright for his exhausted eyes, he curled up in her sweater. 

  
  


He was woken up by the sound of a bell chiming, looking up to see the inside of ‘…The People’s Bitty Store? Where's Mama Cry?!’

One of the monster workers came up to them, before they could even get their greeting out he piped up. Climbing to the human’s shoulder. “WHERE IS MAMA CRY?” 

The Monster worker just smiled sadly. “Mama Cry has retired, moving on to another breakthrough in whatever field she chooses next”

“RETIRE? BUt she…” He trailed off, disappointed and distressed. 

The worker smiled. “She left her most trained protégés in charge! Don't worry everything is still running smoothly!”

That didn't do much to quell his sadness, but the relief was instant. ‘Mama Cry wouldn't have bad people as her protégé…’

The human woman lifted her hands, he couldn't see the movements as well. The worker seemed to understand, and turned to address him.

“Your arms are injured?”

He cringed under the direct mention of his defects. “YEAH… THEY UH… WON'T HEAL…COMPLETELY… ”

“Can you two come with me through this door?” It's a random door, but the place was magical. If you just walked in a direction you’d reach it. Once inside, any door entered is where you needed to be.

The human followed the worker inside. It was an examination room for the sick and injured. The Human set me down on the table.

The worker picks him up and carries him into an examination room, he stares at them while they run tests on him.

“SO, WHAT'S WRONG?” He asks, not particularly liking this part all that much. He didn't hate it anymore, he knew hate this was not it. 

“It seems that your arms aren't being healed completely because of a strong intent from whoever did this, and your own magic not allowing it to heal.” They don't bother looking up from the machinery they were messing with. 

He was shocked still, and they were acting like they didn't just drop that bombshell. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MY MAGIC IS KEEPING IT FROM HEALING?!”

The machine lights up and snaps some sort of photo of him. “It only happens in cases of huge self blame, and self loathing.”

He closes his eyes and flops on his back, ‘Of course, of course. She just had to take everything from me. Lovely, just lovely. Wouldn't it just stay physical trauma, that's so much easier and it would let me heal faster.’

“So the human woman you came in with, who is she?” When he looked up, he saw the monster worker with a pen and clipboard. They tapped the pen on they’re face. “You can call me Bun by the way.”

He sat up. “I DON'T REALLY KNOW, I WAS DYING FROM HUNGER AND EXPOSURE DUE TO BEING ABANDONED AND SHE JUST KINDA PICKED ME UP AND CARRIED ME TO HER HOME. SHE GAVE ME SEA TEA, AND TRIED TO HEAL MY WOUND. SHE GAVE ME NEW CLOTHES TOO, THOUGH THEY ARE A LITTLE SMALL THERE WHAT SHE HAD ON HAND.”

Bun scribbled on their clipboard. “She's interested in adopting you,” Bun looked up. “Would you like to stay with her?”

‘I’m unadoptable, I'm different from my group and now I'm damaged.’ He bitterly recalled the biting insults that his old human would scream at him. ‘Self-fulfilling prophecy, it's her fault she made it come true.’ He considered the question after getting all his bitterness out, he did want to stay with her. She was nice, and saved his life. ‘Mostly the part where she saved my life, I… I was going to die like that… in a hunger induced stupor barely strong enough to live for the next few steps. Oh stars I was going to die there, she saved me…’

“Are you ok? Is that a no?” He snapped out of his thoughts.

He blinked. ‘I can’t ruin this too’ He started talking quickly. “NO, NO, I WANT TO. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THE STATE SHE FOUND ME IN AND… I WANT TO STAY WITH HER.” 

Bun looked at him, before writing more things down. “About the state she found you in, I need a description of what happened and your old adopters full name.”

He cringed at the memory, and resigned himself to explaining it. “HER NAME IS MARGARET JAMMIE DOLARUNS. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER, I GOT SICK OF HER CONSTANTLY DEMEANING ME AND YELLED AT HER. IN RETALIATION TO SOMEONE SMALLER THAN A CELL PHONE, SHE PICKED ME UP A SQUEEZED ME BREAKING MY ARMS. THEN SHE DROVE OUT TO THE CLOSEST PART TO THE CITY AND DROPPED ME IN AN ALLEYWAY WHERE I WANDERED FOR ONE WEEK AND A FEW DAYS.”

Bun nodded, writing everything down. “Well we will be dealing with that,” They waved their hands. “Nonsense. Hopefully we can take her to court. The human woman you were just with was signing adoption papers while you were here, they should be here a second.”

Bun stood up, and grabbed something off their desk. “Here have some candy while you wait.” Bun handed a bitty sized candy to him.

He munched on the candy while he waited, finding the silence much nicer than he ever thought he would. He had always hated it, but now finding it comforting. 

  
  


Eventually the door opened, and a figure rushed in. Before he knew it he was eye to eye with the human woman, who was holding up a phone to him.  [  A R E Y O U O K ? ? ? ? ? ] Her face was pressed into concern.

He opened his mouth to say something, before closing it,  _ she's deaf _ , again and nodding. She sighed in relief, and used her hands to say something he couldn't see to Bun. Bun smiled in return. 

She picked him up to her chest and walked out. He looked from inside her hands and found that she was following another worker. Who smiled at him. “Hello there I’m Puck, nice to meet you. Your adopter has already gotten most essential items, and would like you to pick out your personal items.” Puck nodded to themselves before continuing walking to a cart. 

The human woman placed him on her shoulder before grabbing the cart and walking into the Papy bitty section, and he just kinda stared at it. He didn't like a lot of the stuff, stuff he would have liked not a month ago. He shook his head, this won't stop him. 

The human woman set him on the stand. She clapped her hands together and grabbed something. She held it up to him, it was a purple poncho. ‘Ah, she made a B-line for the purple. That's actually… didn't she find me in a poncho…? This-this is adorable, like a representation of my new life.’ “I LOVE THAT IDEA” He said and nodded at the poncho. ‘Plus it will cover my arms, saving me from having to explain them.’

  
  


He jumped around grabbing clothes, shoes and other things he wanted, easily ignoring the pain. Almost everything in a darkish red-purple. He ran his hands over a dark reddish purple sweater, to excited to care if it hurt. It was a nice color, completely different from the yellow cage he was trapped in. An irritating constant reminder of the forced constant positivity, the rich purples were different and didn't give him a headache if he stared at it for too long. He felt excitement for the future.

After picking things out, Puck came back. “Here are the last forms you need to sign, uhhh” The human woman did not respond, probably because she couldn't hear them. He moved his hand where she could see it and pointed at the worker.

She turned, and moved her hands. She made a motion a little like knocking. The worker handed her the paper. Curled a finger, pointed at her, and then spun both of their hands around each other. 

He stared at them. ‘Need… you… sign?’ She looks at the paper and picks him up and they begin walking into another office. 

She begins signing her name in fancy handwriting, {Shye}.

‘That doesn't fit her at all, she should change her name to Superhero… 

That's ridiculous and I love it.’

Then she grabbed a sticky note and put it in front of him. 

{What do you think of ‘The Great Poncho}

He gasped, “I LOVE IT!” before nodding vigorously at her smiling widely. ‘This time I literally have great in my name, shows you Margret.’

She wrote the name in, with big curly handwriting.

_ {The Great Poncho} _

**/The Great Poncho’s Pov\**

I continue smiling, while she hands the paper to the worker. She smiles back, and picks me up carrying me back to her cart and into the checkout line. Held close and tight to her chest like I'm the most precious thing in the world. The attention and affection was too much, in the best way. I'm not used to it now, but soon this will just be how good things are all the time.

I sit there cuddled in her hands, and people watch. More like bitty watch but same difference. On someone’s shoulder, a Baby Blue stares looks at me. I knew why he was staring, and it made my magic crawl. The older brother class, with their teleporting nonsense, were always immediately perspective. Though most never bothered to do much with this power, except Baby Blues.

I could feel all the staring, and then cuddled into my new mama’s hands. I don’t want to be seen, Shye can protect me. People are gonna gawk at me for the rest of my life? Wonderful, I'm just ecstatic to be an extravaganza. Stars. Did Margret have to ruin my life in all these fun and interesting ways? Will going into public be a nuisance? I loved going outside. I hate this, I feel so exposed. I stare up at the starck white ceiling, in the fetal position treating the hands as more of a bed than Mama’s hands.

Calling her mama, didn’t feel right… It reminded me too much of ‘Mama Margret’. Hmmmm… New… mama…. Nema? No, no, no. That doesn't sound right at all. Hmm… Neme. Nope, that doesn't even sound like Mama. Nama? Nama! That works and it sounds like mama too! Great! Avoidance and healing is so much easier when I’m not constantly reminding myself of that demon woman, fucking Margret. 

The beeps off all the items scanning stopped and Nama Shye picks up all the 4 bags in one hand, shifting me onto her shoulder. I cringe, great. Apparently the title then name is another no-no, guess I’ll avoid that too. 

I watch as soon as we exit, we end up right back in front of her house. She unlocked all… 5 of her locks? That must be a safety issue, maybe a bad neighborhood or one very bad person. Nama walked in and moved to a room next to her own bed room, setting all the bags on the floor.

She set me down on the bed. She pointed to me, then held her hands parallel to her chest, then curving her fingers.

She pointed at me… then made a box shape. My… room? WAIT, MY ROOM? ALL THIS MINE. I try to communicate my epiphany, gesturing to the whole room and pointing at myself. She clapped, laughed and nodded. 

This entire room, mine. Never in a million years would I think I'd have a room… “THANK-”  _ She’s deaf _ , ahhhgggggggrrrrrrrrrrahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. How in the stars do I keep forgetting. Uhhhh… how do I say thank you… Hmm with my old mama,  _ Olma? Ha! She would hate that _ , People would slightly bow and curtsy when they were introduced. A respect thing? It's the closest I got. I politely bow.

She laughs again, waving me off. Taking out her phone,  [  T R Y I N G TO SAY T H A N K Y O U ? ]

I vigorously nod. She lifts up her right arm, places her hand to her lips then making her hand parallel to her chest. Like blowing a kiss but the hand doesn't stop going down until the top of the chest. I mimic the motion, my bones only slightly stung. 

She stops.  [  A R E Y O U R A R M S O K ? D I D T H A T H U R T ? D O N ’ T H U R T Y O U R S E L F  ]

Every other part of me was healed completely, this must be how that human in the tv show felt after the horrible accident and their arms were just taken out of the cast. Full moment, not broken, still hurts. It doesn’t hurt a lot, just stung and looked weird. Something I’m definitely not ok with, but at least they were not broken. I shake my head, and give her a thumbs up. I guess it doesn't matter that much, Nama doesn't seem to mind.

Nama smiles. She starts taking things out of the shopping bags and setting them on the bed. Then she walked out of the room. I look at all the stuff she bought for me, it's a lot. All the basic things and all the recommended things for my bitty type. A bathtub, puzzles, tiny work out things, a little dresser, all my clothes and shoes, and just a lot more stuff. Like I had my own tiny house complete with my own couch and coffee table for my own living room. 

Nama comes back in with one of those cheap plastic foldable tables, and puts it next to the bed. The table was about the height of the head board. She lifts me up, placing me on her shoulder. Then she pushes the bed so the footboard touches the wall, picking up the table and putting between the headboard and the wall. She wipes her hands off, setting me back on the bed. Nama makes a gesture to the table and smiles. 

I can sleep in this extra bed and all my stuff will be on the table. I smile and nod as confirmation. Nama smiles back, and begins to set all my stuff up. Work out stuff next to the dresser, dresser next to the giant bed. I walk on air to get on the table from the bed, Nama leaves again while I look around. The bathtub had heatiness settings, the dresser was huge and was definitely enough for all my clothes. I lift up all my clothes and bring them from the bed to me using blue magic. Setting out one for myself, because the small clothes were ok for when I was just taken out of an alleyway, I want real clothes. 

Nama comes back in with a power strip and placing it under the table, and she began plugging up all the things that need power, most notable the workout stuff. Grabbing the bathtub to put it in the bathroom most likely. This time when I'm left alone I change into clothes that fit me, black slacks, a button up white shirt, and a dark purple poncho. Normally my bitty type like shirts with skulls, jeans and leather jackets. Cool stuff basically. I'm actually dressed more like a ‘Boss’ bitty, they like being dressed formally all the time. The poncho is more of a ‘Lil bro’ bitty thing, they like soft comfortable clothes. 

She comes back in, claps her hands and smiles. She turns to me and gasps. I blush at the attention. “ACK-” She lifts me up and kisses my head, I blush again. I can't be that cute.

She walks into the kitchen and places me on the counter, I sit down to watch her. She lifts up waffles,  _ waffles! _ , and enthusiastically shakes them. I smile back brightly, I've never had waffles, I've always wondered-  _ is that a toseter _ . I've only seen that in Tv too! It was about brunch time, and I was very hungry. I run across the gap between the island and the kitchen counter. I walk up the waffles box. {Magic waffles! Best breakfast magic pick-me-up} I read what type of magic it has in it, just healing. Nama brought out different non magical waffles, for herself. She takes out her phone, and starts typing. [  A T T H I S R A T E I M I G H T S T A R T R E M E M B E R I N G T O E A T ]

_ What?! _ I gasp. “YOU DON'T REMEMBER TO EAT!? I KNOW THAT YOU CAN’T HEAR ME BUT I HOPE ME CROSSING MY ARMS POINTING AT YOU AND LOOKING MAD GETS ACROSS MY SHEER AMOUNT OF DISAPPOINTMENT.” I make disappointed faces and hand gestures, to really hammer home how very disappointed I am.

She smiles sheepishly and shrugs. I frown. “NO EXCUSES!!!!!!” I stomp my foot, and shake my head. Laughing, Nama takes out her phone.  [  F I N E T H E N , Y O U ’ L L B E M Y L I T T L E R E M I N D E R ] I smile and nod. “I WILL, YOU WILL BE HEALTHY! MARK MY WORDS!”

A pop, and I turn to the magic waffle that has come out of the toaster. Cooooooooooool. Nama walks, rips the waffle in half and puts it on a plate. It came up to the height of my chin, and was just as wide as me too. Nama pops the other half of the magic waffle her mouth, and pushes the plate to me. She walked over to her cupboard, grabbing a small magic syrup and putting a little on my waffle then putting it back. 

I stared at her for a moment, she stared at me. I gesture to my brand new clean clothes. She stares before laughing and covering her face. She grabbed me a napkin. I cover myself completely with the napkin, and immediately dig into the waffle. It's delicious, and must be devoured immediately.

After a couple 20 minutes, most of my half of the magic waffle has been eaten. I nearly ate my own body weight in a waffle, she looked at me. She makes two fists and moves her arms up and down, points at herself, with flat hands presses her fingers in her chest, she points at the waffles. I stop and think, she pointed at the waffle. The waffle I can’t finish. She made four gestures, blank me blank waffles. Can I have the waffles? I make a thumbs up, then I point at her and make the same motion with closed fitsts. You can…?

She smiles brightly and nods, eating the rest of the waffle with ease. She takes out her phone.  [  Y O U C A T C H O N Q U I C K ] I smile brightly at the praise.  [  I N E E D T O G O T O T H E S T O R E , F O R M A G I C F O O D ] I nod, I need a different kind of food. She wandered into the living room, and grabbed a large soft leather purse. She took out her large braid letting several much smaller ones fall out, it looked like all her was braided in small braids. She was wearing something similar to what she wore when she found me, but this time it was a sweater dress and bleached jeans with her large boots with a small heel.

She grabbed her round sunglasses, putting them on her face. She lifts me, cradling me in her hand as she opens the ridiculous amount of loc- the 5 locks were much easier to open from the inside. She walked over to her car, sitting down in the driver's seat. Nama opened her phone. 

  
  


**Horror movie (4)**

**Green, and the colors**

**Ignore (17)**

**Principal/boss**

**Janitor**

**Green's mom**

  
  


She taps on Horror movies. I wonder who all her friends are. I wonder if they have bittys. Is that where she got the grillbitty clothes from?

**Horror movie- Ay, bitch**

**Horror movie- guesssssss what**

**Horror movie- Hello? Anyone home?**

**Horror movie- Do I need to get greenie to stage a groceries intervention, again?**

**Sorry, I had a busy day -Me**

**No groceries intervention needed, i'm going shopping for food right now -Me**

**Thanks for all the music you downloaded on my phone, finally have a use for it- Me**

**Horror movie- Your welcome babes**

**Horror movie- Come over to blow off some steam later**

**Horror movie- bye bab**

She opens her phone to the music app, and plugs it into her car. Picking me up and placing me on the passenger seat. She tapped on her phone for another moment, music started playing from the car speakers. It bordered on too loud, but that made sense- Nama couldn't hear it. Something hope? World? It was in a language I didn't understand. She gestures to the speakers, making a thumbs: up, sideways and down. I give a thumbs up. It sounded good, if not vaguely confusing.

The car ride was a little boring, with nothing to look at except the dashboard. The music was fun though, I ended up dancing in the heated seat. Eventually she stopped the car, and turned everything off. Nama picks me up holding me close to her chest, grabbing a shopping cart on her way.

I stared up at the giant store, I had never been to a store before being a house locked bitty. The store was huge with things everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Just stuff, food, clothes, appliances, decorations- there was just everything. There were bright fluorescent lights, that made the store almost unnecessarily bright. It kinda hurts, I rub my eyes and stop staring at them. 

Nama started walking towards the food section, walking past the fruits! This will not stand! I poke her, beating my tiny hands on her collarbone. Nama looks down at me and I pointly point at the fruit, because by stars she is going to be healthy. She laughed, much quieter, and walked over to the fruit section. 

Grabbing strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples and oranges. Patting me on the face. She continues on into the vegetable aisle, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes, peppers, onions. Good healthy stuff. She grabbed some spices, and meandered into the soup aisle grabbing an excessive amount of soup broth. 

She tried to, emphasis on tried, grab ramen. That earned her a telling off, complete with some vaguely rude and very stern gestures. 

After that, I pointed her in the direction of the Italian food. Some pasta and pizza was collected. Bacon, stake, pattys were collected. Which included steep concentration for the seasoning. Along with a 20 minute text conversation about how she can grill a mean burger. She went into the candy section an obscene amount of jolly ranchers. Which earned her a very very disappointed glare, and earned me a lot of poking me. 

Eventually we got to the magic food section. Every single item carefully considered. Filling pasta foods, spaghetti, waffles except these ones have little fruits in them and it looks so tasty, and very importantly cereal with little dinosaur eggs tasty and they have puzzles on the back of them and they taste delicious. 

  
  


Shopping was long stretches of boredom, while she was engrossed in shopping, and random spikes of excitement in the form of charades. I spent most of my time watching people and mostly Nama. People stared at me, humans, other bittys. Which had me hiding in Nama’s arms. That proves there's something clearly wrong with me. Nama doesn't seem to care, Namas whose opinion matters and she keeps from their sight. So all is well I guess. We stood in the check out line, a cart full of good foods I will remind her to eat. She was still cradling me in her arms, and one particularly rude baby blue and edgy duo loudly declared I was creepy. They were shushed very quickly. I stare at my hand while the cashier checks in all our food. Nama pushes the cart out, the outside air barely registered. Soon we were home.

  
  


I silently sat on the kitchen counter, watching my Nama move back and forth.

I sit like I always sit, my knees together leaning on my arm. Like a young woman is supposed to, it looks cuter for me to sit like this.

Educit training. Was that it? Was that I looked so creepy? Why do they have to stare?

Look at humans like this, look at bittys like this, walk like this, defer like this, sit like this, stand like this, speak like this, sleep like this. 

Creepy? I… don’t move like a normal bitty do I?

_ ~“You must always move, stand and sit exactly as I tell you, understood?”~ _

But people liked it, it wasn't creepy- it was cute. I’m not creepy, I'm well behaved.

_ ~”Aw, look at him! A little doll, he behaved so well as well. I just adore him!”~ _

I… They were just being mean right? Edgys and Baby blues are known for being like that. Baby Blues are sarcastic all the time, and Edgys are just assholes. I'm not wrong, there isn't anything wrong with me, they were just lying.

_ ~”A cute little doll.”~ _

I cringe at the memory … I don’t move normally do I? No, I don’t. Everything has been practiced into perfection. All with the purpose of looking more like a doll than a person. That was her goal, wasn't it?

Margret constantly called me doll. Margret was annoyed every time I spoke up unprompted. Margret always seemed annoyed at all the things I require. Mama-  _ That Woman _ … she forced all that eduit training on to me. Just to force me to move in a very precise way. Exactly like a doll. She wanted a doll, not a companion. Is that what I am? A doll?

I feel wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong,  _ wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong _ \- OW! Fuck! 

I take my phalanges off my arms, covered in dust. Panic courses though my magic, which is worse. I glare at the cracks in my bones. Cosmetic, the equivalent of a scratch, almost no dust, barely any magic leaving through the air. I’m fine, not even hurt, I'm exaggerating. I rub my arms, I’m fine, I’m exaggerating. 

I continue to rub my arms, really shouldn't make that into a habit. It was nice, until it hurt like hell. I shake my head. No, no, not doing it again. This kind of bad habit will be worse than detrimental, it would be downright destructive. 

Even deadly, if my magic starts mirroring me and self destructing. Doing it once on accident is one thing, doing on purpose is another. 

I did not go all this way to fall down just because some stupid fucking Baby blue and Edgy said something mean. Not here, not now. I can and will survive this, no one can stop me or slow me down.

I shake my head, and breathe. If a monster gets depressed enough their own magic starts attacking itself, like autoimmune disease but caused by depression. Falling down. Bittys aren't supposed to have this problem, especially not Papy Bittys. 

I look up and around. Nama was shoveling things into the fridge. She loudly sighed and took all the empty plastic bags and dumped them in the recycle bin. 

Eventually stretching and walking over to me. Nama lifted me up and kissed my head, cradling me to her chest. I curl up again, it's still warm. Which I’m now only realizing is most likely her soul, not body temperature. 

Nama’s soul…? 

Humans are always giving off ridiculous amounts of strong magic. Their bodies are stronger, they can contain it. Magic that is strong, is volatile, and dangerous to a monster. 

That is how intent works. Humans could attack the physical body, and their unstable magic would instinctively attack the soul. 

Mages had weaker, easier to control magic. Which inadvertently made them weak to normal humans, after the barrier was put up all that time ago. 

That's also how humans can take out their souls so easily. Their souls produce so much strong magic that it can make a magic pocket connecting itself to its body, not to mention how human souls stick around after death. 

It takes an absurd amount of magic for a soul to protect itself from the outside world after the body and armor is broken. Even boss monster souls break soon after their body is destroyed due to exposure. Human souls on the other hand can just make an outer shell, and last for hours. 

Humans souls are stupidly powerful. Powerful enough to fix my arms. The scratches and the scaring. 

I lift up my arms, and softly call out. The pain was instantly soothed, subconsciously. A green soul probably… I should literally ask her. Fucking Margret, makeing me avoid direct confrontation.

Nama sits down. I peer over her hand, we’re in her bedroom. She turns on her tv, which is silent. Which made perfect sense, and I expected it this time. I hit her hand which, I’m told, feels like a soft tap. She looks down and tilts her head.

… Wait fuck, I can’t talk to her! Stars dammit. She nods understandingly, grabbing her phone. Opening it on the notes app. I tap the screen, nothing. Not magic compatible. Of course it isn't, she wouldn't be able to use the thing if it was. Humans have too messy magic for that to- Ugh!

I grab her finger and begin typing. It's uncovental and inaccurate, but it does work which is the important part. Eventually I finished typing. 

I pull on her hand, and point at the phone. She had started watching tv while I tried to type out my message. [  CAN YOU HEAL MY ARMS WITH INTENT? ] 

She stares at me, before slowly nodding. I hold out my arms for her to try and heal. Nama picks me up and cradles me close to her chest and soul. 

I hum in contentment, it feels like a warm blanket or green magic wrapping around me. It’s tentative and cautious, but healing. My arms heal carefully, each bruise and wound being softly sewn up with magic. 

Eventually I was almost completely healed. I pushed hard on her hand, which barely moved Nama’s fingers, hopping out of her hand. 

Humans can't read souls like monsters can, which can lead to over healing. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, just causes nausea and dizziness. Then throwing up, and it would be rude to throw up right after she healed me.

I look down at my arms, they are scared. Very scared, but perfectly fine. I look up at Nama who was looking at me, she gives a thumbs up and tilts her head. I give a double thumbs up.

I climbed back into her hand. She went back to cradling me letting her arms rest on her legs. Nama turned on the tv, then held me with her other hand.

The Tv was playing something, Stranger things? The subtitles moved very fast and were very small. Or maybe I'm not the fastest reader, Margret didn't let me read much. Margret said it wasn't a skill I needed. Damn you Margret, you just had to ruin my life in every way you possibly could.

I rest in Nama’s hands. Nama magic was soft and pleasant, the magic that radiated off was like a gentle wave. A slow moving gentle wave. Patience and Kindness maybe? I would be interested to know. The Judge class can see magic auras, I just bother to ask one. Probably a Lil Bro, the Older brother Judges tended to know too much. Or, even more annoyingly, will assume the worst. Little brother Judges at least know how far is creepy, they at least know how to see the best in people.

Margret never bothered to hold me often, but when she did. Hm. If Nama is a warm slow moving wave, Margaret was a similar slow moving wave in the arctic drowning polar bear cubs. I wonder what color her soul is, if I see her again- I'm just going to cuss her out again. There will be no kidding myself.

This is nice, all of this is nice. Nama is nice. I don’t need to do anything? Do I? I'm not recruited to act a certain way. I’m clearly not being treated as a status symbol, Nama would have shown me off to her friend by now if I were. I know clearly that Nama wasn’t going to break me like a toy she doesn't want, if I disagree with her. 

My vision blurs. Oh how wonderful, I’m crying. I lean back and quietly watch the TV, life is good. Very good. I don’t have to worry about anything, well except reminding Nama to eat and what I’m going to say to Margret if I see her again.

After the episode Nama starts flipping through the channels haphazardly. 

**[** **BITTY RINGS POPPING UP NEAR NORTHPLAINS** **]**

Bitty rings,  _ that's where we are _ … I cringe. Nama really was a saint, a fate worse than death… I could have been there, trapped in one of those….

Poor things. Hope that the humans in charge can get off their anti-magic asses long enough to actually get rid of the problem.

Nama’s hand tightens around me, warmly. Like a light hug. She rubs the top of my head with her thumb, in a comforting manner. I look up and Nama is glaring at the screen, like the lady reporting the news personally tried to stab her.

I leaned into her hands and felt safe, maybe that was her intent? To protect me? Even if it isn't, it is still very nice.

I lean back and silently close my eyes. My brand new bed can be used tomorrow, I’m exhausted and this is very comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have spent so much time thinking about Poncho and them, i'm like screaming


	2. Alright, This'll Be Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to school, meet Green and Horror Movie, and their bittys  
> Poncho makes a friend and has a revaluation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting surprisingly busy, but I will always find time to write to give y'all the next chapter

**Chapter Two**

**/The Great Poncho’s Pov\**

I glare at the sun, that has oh so very rudely awakened me while I’m still exhausted from lack of sleep. Or maybe that was all the crying. I stand up, and do a few quick stretches. Yep that's emotional exhaustion. Lovely. Can’t sleep that one off. 

A quick look around determines that I’m in my new room, in my oversized bed. All the bathroom stuff is in the bathroom, no sinks in here. I look around the top of the room, is there a clock around here? Ah, 5:00 am. Wonderful, I still wake up at the same time. Lest I get anymore like one of the sanses, being that paranoid sounds even more exhausting. 

I walk up to the table, picking out a similar outfit to the one I'm wearing. Black dress pants, white button up shirt- I'll just wear the same poncho again. It is outerwear after all. I walked over to the door, using blue magic to pull the handle so that I could push it open. Calmly opening the next door in the hallway, which thankfully was the bathroom. 

After a very brisk shower, I walk to the kitchen. 5:10. I can cook right? I stare at the stove from my perch on the kitchen table. Yes that was something I could use. 

Sansy’s help with loneliness with their jokes and friendly demeanor, Baby Blue’s help with confidence with their infectious narcissism and general apathy for other opinions, Edgy’s help with safety with their general paranoia, Boss’s help with disorganization in people's life with a no nonsense attitude and concise plans, Lil bro’s help with rambunctious situations by keeping people level headed and calm, Papy’s help with quality of life by helping around the house and inspiring happiness. Grillbitty’s are kitchen assistants, personalities depended on the type of crimson needed. Cherry’s for savoir complexes, Soft bones for people who just like looking at bittys, Punny’s for people who want a more exotic pet. Bittyblossom’s for exotic decorations.

We have purposes, and I hadn't been allowed to do mine. 

Do I even know how to cook anymore? I loved cooking, that was the point. We have things to do, and we love doing it. There was a calendar next to the front door, she has work today at 7. I should make her lunch! 

I open the cabinets with blue magic, and consider my options. 

Pasta was the go-to. ¾ physical food and ¼ magic food for a boost? 

Yes that works, Nama seemed just as exhausted as I was. On that note she probably wants coffee. Bitty blue magic was just strong enough to open a normal wood door with some effort. A quick search through the cabinets, all the spaghetti supplies were ready. 

After getting the correct amount of water in both pots, and the sauce started, I began rooting around for any coffee capsules. That most likely goes with the large instant coffee maker that sat on the kitchen counter. Ah! Neatly lined up in the cupboard. They’re flavored too!

After very clumsy cooking that made me feel like I’ve never cooked in my life, it was finally finished. I dragged out some plastic reusable containers, and put most of the food in. 

Putting some of the magic food in a much smaller container, for myself. Forks, napkins… Only metal forks? That's fair, now napkins. No napkins, paper towels work.

Now for cleaning up! The house was already vaguely messy. I could clean everything later…

No. 

It was messy but lived in. Most papy bittys would love a perfectly clean environment, with only decorations out. But if I have to live in another beautifully decorated and cold house where no soul was supposed to live, it will drive me absolutely insane. 

The magazenses, blankets, books, and shoes make it look lived in. Though it could be a little more organized… Yeah.

After leaving the pots to soak and organizing and tidying the living room, the shower turns on. Which means it's time to begin breakfast, waffles are the only sensible choice. 

Two normal ones, one magic that's partly for me. What else, sausage! Does she have one? Yes, this will only take a moment. 

After finally plating, which is decidedly the absolute worst part, Nama comes down. Peeking her head into the doorway, searching for something. 

After concluding that it was, in fact, safe to enter, she runs up to me phone in hand.  [  S M E L L S G O O D, Y O U C O O K ?] , the robotic voice sounded out. 

Did you cook this or do you cook? 

Eh I can answer both with a double thumbs up. 

She claps her hands together, then types.  [  T H O U G H T Y O U W E R E G R E E N I E A N D G R I L L B I T T Y S, D I D ’ N T K N O W T H A T W H E N I A S K E D Y O U T O B E M Y R E M I N D E R Y O U ’ D M A K E F O O D .] Wonderful, that's one mystery solved, this Greenie person is the one with the grillbittys. 

Isn't she the one who ‘horror movie’ (horror?) Asked to do a grocery intervention? Grillbitty’s are for people who cook after all. 

I smile and point to myself with my thumb, striking a pose worthy of The Great Poncho! Nama laughs and claps, before digging in and I do the same. The waffles are  _ not _ eating themselves. 

[  I H A V E W O R K T O D A Y , Y O U WANNA C O M E W I T H ?] I’m aware but thank you, and yes  _ yes  _ **_yes_ ** . 

I nod, entusaticly, to communicate how much I really really wanna go to work with her. 

Nama nods and goes into the fridge to grab presumably lunch, and I perked up. Much to my eternal pride, Nama lights up and looks positively elated. 

She pulls out the large packed spaghetti lunch, and smaller spaghetti lunch for me. She sets it on the table, waves her hand near her ear, points at me, makes a grinding pepper motion, then points at the lunches. 

Something, you make lunches? Did you make lunch? I smile and nod, and strike a bit of a pose. Nothing fancy, but I am pretty great. 

She picks me up and hugs me, cuddling me close to her chest and soul. Yep, that is a lot of affection. Definitely a green soul, this is overpowering. 

Thats a lot of love and affection, I think I just might drown. Not exactly a bad way to go, but I’d rather not die here. Thankfully, she toned it down. 

She put me down and started rooting around for… a suitcase? That suitcase didn't look right, like a cabinet on wheels. She put the lunch on top, and inside it? She picked me up and held me to her chest, and walked outside. 

We got into the car, and Nama started driving. Listening to music the entire car ride, well I listened to music the entire time.

We eventually came upon a… school. Is she a teacher, it's 6:30?! Is she late?! She seems calm, so it should be fine. She walked into the school, weird suitcase, and me in hand. Walking through the halls, which were completely devoid of talking. Laughing, yelling, and footsteps- but no talking, no conversations. 

This must be a deaf school. I’m an Idiot, she's  _ deaf _ and this is a  _ school _ of course this is a school for the deaf. 

She keeps walking, then waves another human adult down. She hugs this stranger, with me still in her arms. Which was a terrifying experience, being so close to a strange human. Nama places me on her head, and begins to have a very  _ fast _ coverstaton with her hands. 

The other person was a human man, much lighter than Nama. Nama looked chocolate, dark brown. This new human skin was like... birch wood, lighter. 

He wore a plain shirt with a jacket over it, he was rounder than Nama. His hair was gray, or silver. He had round glasses and was around the same height as Nama. 

Very early into the conversation she points at me. I, as expected of me, wave politely. Without the curtsy nonsense, I’m never doing that again. He waves back. 

“Nice to meet you ‘The Great Poncho’.” He gave a little chuckle… 

I flinch at the sudden address. What in the fuck.

The question probably translated from my face, because he answered it. “I must have caught you off guard, I’m sorry little fellow. My wife is deaf, I’m not.” 

He looks past Nama, and lit up instantly. “There she is!” He starts to quickly gesture for her to come over. 

A much smaller woman dawdled into view, and was quickly pulled into a hug by her husband and Shye. She was short and round, and had glasses small circle glasses. He was the same color as her husband, with longer horror and blond hair. She had a smile on her face. 

He pointed at me, before quickly gesturing to his wife. “She said it's nice to meet you.” 

I cringe at the other human's sudden appearance. I try not to let it show, I don't want to piss them off. “TELL HER IT’S NICE TO MEET HER AS WELL.” 

He nods and goes back to informing his wife of things. “You're gonna learn sign language to communicate with Ms.Hope?” 

Hope? That's her last name? ‘Poncho The Great Hope’ has a nice ring to it! 

I nod entusatically. Of course I’m gonna learn how to communicate with Nama, she's the best. “Excellent kiddo, Shye here is asking me to help you.” Is that a question? “REALLY?.” 

I won’t have to be with this strange human for hours will I? I don’t like this. He nodded understandingly. “Me and my wife are english teachers, Shye is a gym teacher. There won’t be much learning sign over all the gym-y stuff.” That, that is fair. But that also means.

“DOES THAT MEAN I'M GOING TO BE WITH YOU EVERY DAY WHILE YOU TEACH?” I don’t want to be alone with this human. Please no. What if I get something wrong and he throws me across the room? Nama is safe, Nama won't hurt me. She wouldn't leave me with someone who would hurt me right?

The man stopped for a moment, pondering. He stopped and began signing to Nama. They carry their conversation on for a moment. 

He nodded at her, and began walking off. Nama, and me, following close behind. He wanders the halls children stopping to stop and stare at me. I always offered the time to wave at the kids.

They eventually reach a classroom. We walk in and are decorated like a fairly normal highschool classroom. A small amount of chessy posters, projector, books, desks arranged in groups, with one right next to the teacher. He doodles into the room, and begins rummaging through the draws in his desk. 

“Ah-ha! Found it!” He walks over and hands a laminated sheet of paper to Nama. “This is a finger spelling sheet. It has all the letters and numbers.” I look down at the sheet, and see hands next to letters and numbers. “You can practice while Shye is doing gym stuff.”

I smile brightly, I get to stay with Nama. Where it’s safe. No strange humans teaching me anything, just me learning with Nama.

I look at the paper, and politely nod. Reminds me of basic bitty training, and advanced specialty class. 

“YES, I CAN DO THAT.” They don't look too hard, I can learn these. 

He laughs good naturedly. “Well I hope so, you wouldn't be able to communicate with Shye here easily then.” 

Wasn't there that Baby Blue who learned spanish only though telenovelas? I’m sure I can learn Asl.

Shye gestures to something and they pick up conversation.

“Well, that will be about it for what I can do now Poncho, Shye needs to meet her students for this year.” He says while booting up a computer. 

Right, smaller humans. Smaller humans with grabby hands and no impulse control. I fight a shiver, I don’t want to be thrown into food again.

I nod and smile, politely. Just like I was taught, there is no reason to ange the human now. “THANK YOU MR… uh” “Wilson.” “THANK YOU MR. WILSON.”

Nama and Wilson exchange goodbyes and Nama walks out. I let go of the breath I was holding and could feel myself relaxing.

From my perch on Nama’s head I could see most of the kids. Thankfully I was on Nama’s head so it was unlikely that I was going to get snatched.

Maybe it's well used paranoia, but for some reason this many children is just unsettling. Enough of them with a plan… 

This is a highschool, they should have enough common sense not to… hopefully. I could technically attack them but it wouldn't do much. 

I suppose ‘panic and bolt’ is as good of a game plan as I'm gonna get.

After a long while of staring at kids who get too close, we eventually get to a gym. There were already students lounging about, assumedly waiting for first period. 

They have gym for the first hour, good for them. They can easily get their morning run in, at school!

Nama waves to them and they wave back. Nama walks past them, to a table. 

She gently lifts me off her head, and sets me down on the table. Then setting the sign paper next to me.

She regards me for a moment. Shaking her head, she turns heel and walks off. Leaving me alone, surrounded by other humans.

The situation was definitely distressing. Surrounded by humans who might want to hurt me. Humans that could definitely hurt me if they tried. 

Children with their grabby hands, and snatching me up, and shaking me, and other horrible things.

Those were Rich brats, used to Margrets stupid sense of entiltlment. These kids shouldn't be like that, hopefully?

I mean I should be able to survive another beating, I am very sturdy, I just don't want to be stuck in the house all day by myself. 

Or hurt for that matter… priorities. 

Plus if I’m spiked into the ground as hard as Margret did last time, my arms might not be able to absorb all the damage and stay functional. 

I could use my legs, but then how would I run.

While pondering my threatened existence, some of the kids start running up to me. 

Two younger one, one slightly older. Like a year apart. 

The stop right in front of the table. One of the younger teenagers stood forward and eyed me with curiosity, the other younger teen was slightly behold the older teen.

I freeze in panic, what do they want? They don’t look like they want to hurt me, but that isn’t worth much.

The one in front of me waved her hand. I wave back. Exactly like I was taught, safer this way. Being polite might keep them from getting angry, though if they wanted to hurt me I can't stop them.

The one who waved, officially dubbed Curly for her hair, signed to me. She points at me and taps her face with two fingers. 

Well isn't this awkward, I can't just not respond can I? No, no. That would be rude, I can't be rude. Now that I’ve backed myself into a mental corner how the hell- THE SHEET!

I look over to the sheet. A-Z 1-10. Basic but it can work right? 

I shakely point to myself and spell out I A-M A B-I-T-T-Y.

Please say that worked. This is so awkward, and uncomfortable. Agh- humans, and their associated trama. 

Nyeh, that one was kinda funny. This probably isn't the most healthy of coping methods. I should nip that in the bud.

Curly claps her hands and signs to her friends. They excitedly sign to each other, pointing to me periodically.

Curly turns back and points to herself, and spells E-M-M-A.

Her name is Emma. I point at myself, and spell P-O-N-C-H-O.

She turns back to her friends signing furiously. Talking, signing(?), quite fast to her friends. 

Eventually the older teen pointed to themself, O-L-I-V-I-A. 

I smile. H-I O-L-I-V-I-A. She signed quickly and smoothly, I signed clunky and slowly. Communication was embarrassing, but not impossible.

She pointed to the last girl A-V-A. I wave to Ava, she waves back from behind Oliva.

Emma waves her hands, in attention grabbing motion. B-I-T-T-Y T-Y-P-E, and she tilted her head in a questioning manner.

I look at the finger spelling list, P-A-P-Y. 

They went back to signing to each other. Olivia taking out her phone and looking up something, most likely my bitty type.

I looked over to the rest of the kids, most of them were staring at me. I felt my magic crawl. I could almost feel 30 little eyes staring at me, judging me. I exhale, they were just most likely reading my responses. Just curious, hopefully.

I could see Nama walking pass the students, stopping to sign to them, and heading right to me. I lit up, happy to see her after dealing with so many humans. She was carrying a pillow, and a scarf.

She tapped Emma and Olvia on the shoulders, Ava turning around because her friends were.

They were most obviously talking about me, with all the pointing in my direction. I wish I could understand the conversation. 

Emma excitedly signing to Nama, maybe she’s asking questions about me?

A very bright light flashes, and Nama gestures for them to sit on the floor with the rest of the kids.

I stare at her while she puts the pillow down, picks me up, sets me on the pillow and puts the scarf on me.

Ah, she left to find stuff to make a makeshift bed for me. That's very nice of her.

I set up the bed in a way where all the smaller humans couldn't see me.

She goes over to the students, and assumedly starts teaching her class. Pointing to me, addressing my general existence, then back to teaching.

Then I'm left to my own devices, to study…

How long does school normally last, like 8 hours?

It's still better than being left behind at home for 8 hours, in a cold alone house.

Yes this is much better than being alone.

  
  


After a few hours of doing the ABC’s and 123’s with my hands until they hurt, things change.

Kids have come and gone from the gym, but they seem not to be coming back for a while.

Nama comes back over, with the two lunches I made.

Upside, I’m starving. Downside, my hands are sore and using utensils is going to uncombable. 

Nama picks me up and walks over to a door in a gym. Opening the door into a small office with a microwave.

Nama sets me on the table, next to her phone and keys. Then quickly moves to put her stuff in the microwave.

After putting the food in the microwave, she sits down in the wooden chair. 

Spotting me, she lifts her hands. G-O-O-D, she tilts her head. 

I instantly nod, and give a thumbs up. 

While physically I feel my hands throbbing, emotionally and menally?

I'm not panicking, I'm not scared, I'm not alone. Being not bad is a good improvement.

That should definitely be counted as a win.

Nama nods. Even though I can't get an exact emotion from her face, I can at least tell that she’s at least showing a positive emotion.

She lifts her hands and starts slowly spelling. F-R-I-E-N-D-S W-A-N-T G-O D-I-N-N-E-R A-F-T-E-R W-O-R-K

Friends? That Grennie and Horror movie people right? Is that who I have to meet?

My spelling was slow and I still hurt. W-H-O

My pronunciation, (form?), was clearly rough.

Eventually I'll figure it out, If i have 7 hours to make my hands do the shapes quickly.

Plus! This could definitely be a type of training. Hand strength and dexterity!

Training should never be half assed.

Shye moves her hands slowly so I can follow.

G-R-E-E-N N H-O-R-R-O-R

Ah! So I was correct! I am assured in the fact that I am very correct, my detective skills are unparalleled.

That must be her close friends? Hopefully they like me… They have to like me, or-

The microwave beeps obnoxiously, to inform us that food is done cooking.

Shye gets up and grabs the two containers from the microwave.

Setting mine next to me and hers in front of her, with both of our utensils. 

Pinching mine so she doesn't drop them, because they’re very tiny compared to her large human hands.

I dig into the food, which was good- not as good as I used to be but I can practice often so my cooking skill won't be average forever. 

I just have to train more. This is training, I'm not being held to perfection. The noodles are fine.

  
  


Eventually school starts again.

Kids file in and sit on the ground while Nama signs to them what's going on.

I go back on the pillow, carrying short conversations with my limited sign knowledge with curious kids.

Of course practicing signs.

And after my hands hurt too much, taking a break to stare at the ceiling and ignoring the existential dread.

After 4 hours, of safe boredom, no more kids come to the gym and Nama starts putting everything away.

I'm emotionally and metally exhausted, which is the folly of extroverts left alone. 

Too much time spent thinking, too much energy spent on not thinking.

If I didn't hate trying to sleep, I would've considered a power nap.

Eventually Nama picks me up, cradling me in her arm while pulling the suitcase file cabinet thing behind her.

A small gaggle of students stop us on our way out of the school. 

With a lot of pointing at me and assumedly explaining what I am, we eventually got out of school and into the car.

After being set in the passenger seat, I jump for the seat warmer and curl up in the warmth while Nama puts things away in the car.

A moment later the trunk is slammed shut and Nama gets in the car.

She hands me her phone after plugging it into the aux port.

I pick one of the many many songs in a different language, and laid down in the warmth of the seat while Nama drives.

Assumedly those are her best friends, or that's who Nama would introduce me too as soon as she could. People normally don't go out for dinner with people they don't like in their free time, that means their opinion of me will be important. Right?

I wonder what they are like? Do both of them have bittys? I know Greenie has Grillbities, does this Horror woman have some too? How will I introduce myself? Are they deaf too? My hands hurt, maybe I could type on a laptop? I need to make a good impression.

I look up at Nama, who looks positively elated while driving. Clearly very excited to be seeing her Greenie and Horror.

What if they don’t like me? Will that affect Nama’s opinion of me?

No Nama will love me no matter what, right?

The car ride was spent half asleep cured into the warm seat, wondering about these two women, and the impending conversation when I meet them.

  
  
  


Eventually the car stops. 

I blearily blink up, and look around. Nama is taking the keys out of her car, she opens the door and lifts me up. Placing me on her head.

The place we were at looked like a smaller family restaurant. It had a large sign in the window that said ‘Bitty friendly’, with what looked like a Poppy and a G waving in the picture next to it.

That’s nice. Restaurants aren't allowed to kick out bitty’s, but some aren't the nicest. Pretty sure Margret, the raging narcissist, didn't get any comments because she was rich.

Nama stepped in and after a moment took a b-line for the back area. 

The restaurant looked extremely cozy, with a dark orange color palette, and tinted lights.

Nama josiles me, moving her arm to wave at someone. I turn my head to look in that direction.

One of the women was standing, she looked clearly over dressed, wearing a velvet floor length black dress, cinched with a silver belt. She was wearing gloves and a large black floppy sun dress sat next to her, with large round sunglasses inside. Around her shoulders was a black shawl. Interestingly enough not a single piece of jewelry, aside from a single fancy silver watch on her wrist. She has long black hair, with straight bangs. She had very eye catching makeup, with sharp eyeliner and black lipstick. She was paler, like the other teacher humans, but much paler than them.

The other woman was sitting. She was wearing a short soft pink flowy dress with flower print on it. She has golden brown skin, and pink cheeks. She is also wearing a large pink summer jacket and sandals. Her hair was in a short curly bob, that covered a good chunk of her eyes. Her hands were slightly calloused, and neatly folded. She was wearing hoop earrings that peeked out from her curly hair. A large open purse sat next to her, with random things almost spilling out of the bag. In contrast she was much wider than the other woman, she looked very soft. Her eyes were large and kind, and she kept moving her hair out of her face while trying to wave.

Nama removed me from her head, and, while gently clutching me to her chest, excitedly hugged the woman in the black dress. Nama then grabs the other girls hand, pulling her up and into a hug.

Nama softly placed me down on the table. I sat down like normal and stared up at the three women. They looked like very close friends.

Eventually they sat down. The woman in the black dress in the middle, Nama and the other woman sat on each side of her.

They immediately went into sign, having a conversation about me. Assumdly, they were pointing at me a lot.

A small angry voice speaks in a hushed tone from the area that the sun dress woman was sitting. “Ah fuck, the mute is here.” As soon as the voice spoke up, two voices did as well. “Be  _ nice _ purple.”

Sundress glared over at her own bag. “Purple, stop being mean to Shye.” 

I could hear snickering, loud snickering, coming from the overcrowded bag.

A protest. “But Ma-”

“No! Be nice, you should make a good impression.” She reached into her bag. Plucking out a very annoyed looking Grimby and placing him on the table.

She pats his head, while he glares at her. “She just got a bitty, be  _ nice _ .”

I could clearly hear a loud gasp, and a curly popped his head over the bag. Quickly climbing over the wall of the bag, and speed walking a b-line right for me. Which is interesting behavior for a gentle and quiet type Curly. 

He stops right in front of me, and holds out his hand. “I’m Blue, mom is the worst at naming, It’s nice to meet you.”

I politely raise my hand and shake his, not bothering to stand up from my side leaning sitting position.

“I’m Poncho.” I say quieter, as to not upset Blue’s natural sensitive hearing.

He grabs back, with both of his hands. Then he sits down next to me, far too close.

I stare at him.

He fidget and scoots away. “Sorry, it's been awhile since I’ve met someone my size I can touch…”

I blink at him. Looking over I see the Grimby, Purple, talking to a Ray and G. A water elemental surrounded by fire elementals.That must be lonely... I tap the part of the table right next to me where he was sitting, and he happily moves back.

“So, Could You Tell Me Everyone's Names?” I say in a hushed tone.

Blue smiles and begins to speak. “You already know Purple’s name, our Ray is called Yellow, and our G orange. Yellow is nice, but is always hiding behind Orange. Purple is just not nice. Like I said mom is bad with names. Mom, the one with the darker skin and flower dress, is Phoebe. Though her friends call her Greenie. She's shy and sweet. She loves crafts. She lets me help with everything. She works at a small bakery, baking, and does a lot of gardening.” 

I silently listen. He seems to not know much about the other bittys. Phoebe sounds like she spoils him because the other three don't spend much time with him. Being all alone is awful, awful, just awful. Lucky him, at least he has Phoebe.

Then he gestures to the woman in the black dress. “That's Ash. Though she has a thousand nicknames. Like Horror, Carmin, Simone- which both might be her middle name but I don't know- and Vampire. She gets sun burns very easily, so her clothes cover all her skin. She always looks like that, though you haven’t seen the top hat and veil. She's very… extravagant. She works from home doing… something.” 

Ash seems strange. “She Sounds Over The Top, And Mysterious. I Wouldn't Be Surprised If She Was A Vampire.” A bad joke, but a joke all the same. 

He laughs softly, and shrugs at my comment. “Ash doesn't talk about herself all that much, so none of us know much about her. She's kinda weird, but nice.”

He blinks again. “Oh! You see that hat.” I look over at the black sun hat next to Ash. “She has one bitty and he’s most likely in there.” 

I look at him. “She Has A Bitty, What Kind Of Bitty?”

He makes a strange expression. “Ash… Ash is the type of person to keep bittys from the dangerous series. I think she has a Needle from the Tomb series.” 

I blink. “The Tomb Series? I Don’t Remember That One…” I wonder out loud.

Blue frowns. “That's because they are super rare. They aren't made much, well because they are terrifying. Most people don't want to adopt someone that scary.” Blue smiled in Ash’s direction, then looked back to me. “But she really loves her bitty, so it all works out.”

I smile back. “Yeah?” A bitty like that must be so lonely, but he found someone who cares about him. “That’s Nice.” Like me and Shye. 

I look back to the black hat- and flinch. Eyes-eyelights staring into me. Blue quickly when he grabbed me, my hands in his watery ones. I shudder, I hate being stared at.

I look back up and see that the Needle was speaking to Yellow, Orange and Purple. He was looking back at them. He was only looking to see me, he was meeting a new person.

Then they all turn to look at me, and I can feel the eyes on me. I lock up and my vision blurs. Why were they staring? Am I that interesting to look at? Look somewhere else. I’m not som _ ething to stare at. I just want to hide in Nama’s hands like last time, I don’t want to be seen. Let me hide- _

“ **_Poncho_ ** !” Blue harshly whispered. 

“Come on, come back.” He lightly shook me.

I blink up at him, and look around. I was behind the napkins. No one could see me. 

He put both of his hands on my shoulders, his hands moved with the water and all. “Are you ok? You locked up, and were shaking.” I could hear the worry in his voice.

“I-” I start, saying the words was difficult. “I Don't Like Being Stared At. The Other Two Times I Was Stared At By Other Bittys I was Near Shye, And Could Hide In Her Hands. Or I…” I rub the areas where I scratched into my own bones, getting stared at all that day must have made me more unstable. Making me do that on accident. “I Was Already Upset. Staring Just Makes Me Uncomfortable, It Just Stacked On My Anxiety To Meet Shye’s Friends…”

Blue sat there and listened patiently, rubbing my back for comfort. “That’s ok. We can stay over here. Honestly I couldn't tell what was going on, because your eyelights blurred and you locked up. You kinda looked like a doll.” I flinch, and he pulls me in for a hug. “Then you started slightly shaking and I assumed you weren't ok so I brought you over here. They kinda lost interest after a second, they didn’t notice you being upset so don't worry about that.”

I nod. My head hurt and my chest felt tight. I just needed to calm down.

Blue sat close next to me, our shoulders pushed up against each other. As a water elemental his form was constantly moving and changing, which was something easy to concentrate on. 

We sat there like that for a while, while my breathing evened out. It was quiet but nice.

I yawn and stretch, unwilling to give in to the exhaustion that clings to my bones like an illness. 

Blue perked up and looked at me. “I was worried. Papy’s normally don't fall asleep during the day. You are a papy right?”

I nod, while yawning again. “No Sleeping Only Resting, Sleeping Is So Uncomfortable. I Hate It, Like Every Other Papy.”

He scratched(?) his face. “I didn't know if you were a Papy. I expected Papys to be much louder… “ Blue trails off.

“Oh! That reminds me!” Blue started. “Thank you for quieting down for me.” He had a warm smile.

I blink in surprise. “Of Course.” Do people not do that for him? Maybe… Purple. Was that his name? “It's A Nice Thing To Do.”

Blue looked away. “When I first met you, like 15 minutes ago, I thought you were kinda creepy. But I was so excited I didn't care. You're a nice person and I wanted to say sorry.”

Curly’s are such gentle souls, a little impolite due to spoling, but sweet all the same. 

“It's Ok,” I put my hand on Blue’s shoulder. “You Didn't Know. I Get That I Look Creepy.” I replied houselty. 

He looks at me with a mildly shocked expression. “Ah, someone said that to you?” He frowned “I’m sorry.”

I smile sadly. “I Said It Was Ok.” I pause. “Actually Could You Do Me a Favor?”

“Of course, anything.” He replies instantly.

“What About Me Is Creepy, I Can’t Tell Anymore.” I’d thought about it, when half asleep. Those kinds of thoughts are one of the reasons I hate sleeping.

He stops and thinks. “Well it's because,” Most likely trying to not hurt my feelings. “You're constantly smiling, especially when you're upset. And your magic is extremely stiff, and it makes you move like a doll or something.”

I flinch at the comment. He quickly moves to apologise, and I wave him off. “I Just Don’t Like The Word Doll.”

He nods. “I’ll avoid it.” 

“Thanks.” I smile. “Friends?”

He smiles brightly and hugs me. “ _ Friends _ .”

Blue stands up wipes his slacks and sweater off, and holds his hand. Which I take and stand up, ecstatic to not be sitting anymore.

“So,” He starts, bouncing on the heels of his feet. “Wanna meet mo _ m-er _ . Wanna meet Phoebe?”

Yes, the other humans. Nearly forgot about them. They are Nama’s friends, they must be nice. Blue looks happy, he clearly is treated very well by her. Phoebe clearly adopted them as soon as they were made. What if she doesn't think a broken bitty is ok for her friend. What if she changes Shye’s mind. Then there's Ash, who clearly likes the more rare bittys. What if she thinks I'm too boring? Will I be thrown away again? Will I be s _ tared and prodded to see if i'm good enough- _

“ **Poncho** !” I snap to look over to Blue. He had his hand on my shoulder. “It's ok, they just want to meet you.” He looked like he was trying to fight visually cringing. “You're not gonna get hurt, again.”

I take a breath. “Yeah, Yeah. I Was Over Thinking. Humans Tend To Freak Me Out, Sorry.” I push myself to calm down, this is irritating. Freaking out two times? Do I have any control of these stupid emotions?

I'm so tired of being so scared. I lived in fear with Margret, every single day constant anxiety. Is that how I'm going to live for the rest of my life? 

Before Blue got a chance to reply, I grabbed his arm. “Let's Go, No Time But The Present.” I begin unceremoniously dragging him towards the humans. 

I’m not scared of them! I may be scared that Nama won't like me, but she loves me. I won’t be alone again, I will stick by Nama. Nothing, save death, will even come close to stop me. I swear that one.

What can they do to me? Hurt me? Try to kill me? Been there, done that  _ Margret _ . That sounds annoying, best.

I recall the sheer amount of pain I was in. Wandering through the ally way for days. I never stopped, I never gave in. No matter what was out there I moved.

Why am I so scared?! I'm not doing this, I’m not living in fear.

I should be  _ angry,  _ not sad! 

It felt like something snapped in half, and all the pent up hatred for my old life raised to the surface and exploded like a volcano. Every insult, snide remark, physical assault, every shitty condition endured.

They shouldn't be staring at me! It's not my problem, nor my fault that I’m creepy! Its Margets fucking fault that she cant do the most basic fucking tasks to take care of a liveing creature! 

My existence is not an fucking inconvenience, its a achivement! I’m The Great Poncho! 

Blue likes me for who I am. Nama likes me for who I am.  _ I like who I am. _

I stop in front of Phoebe, before I can even even tap her I hear a grating voice. “She got a Papy? How basic bitch of her.”

I'm officially done. I’m not taking that, i’m not taking any of that. I did not stand up to  _ Margaret and nearly died _ to deal with this kind of treatment. 

I just ignore Purple.

I literally don't care. I couldn't care less what a whiney Grimsby who never learned how to keep his mouth shut thinks. Stronger, better, scarier people have said and done much worse. 

Phoebe turns and shushes him. “Purple I said  _ be nice _ , apologise.”

Purple loudly sighed. “Ma she can’t even hear me-”

“Not to Shye, to her new bitty!” She frowned and crossed her arms. “He’s a new member of this family and you need to be nice.”

I look at the human, Phoebe. She looks so much smaller, softer.

Margret with her constant stupid fake aplogies, I dont need to hear another one. “No Need.” I quickly interrupt. Trying to keep my voice level and my hands from shaking. “I Don’t Care, And I Don’t Want One.” I leave my normal smile on my face, and I respond in my normal cheery voice. I’m not changing myself for any person's benefit.

I could hear the Grimby getting angry, they hate being disrespected. Blue tense up behind me. I could feel the staring, I know it. I feel almost dizzy at the fact that people were judging me. But… I want to talk to Phoebe and that's what I’ll do. 

“Hello Phoebe! I’ve Heard Many Things, Good Things I Assure You, From Nama And Blue. It's Very Nice To Meet You.” I don’t bow, or curtsy, or fix my smile to make it less creepy. I don't even bother moving. I stand still, with my normal smile planted firmly on my face.

She blinks, clearly confused. “Ah it's nice to meet you too. Shye told me about what happened, I'm so sorry.” Her eyes perfectly mirrored her soul, I could feel her kind soul pushing on my magic. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. 

I smile in response. “Don’t Worry. My Life Is So Much Better With Nama In It.” I answer honestly. 

Phoebe smiles. This woman has an extremely kind and patient soul. Maybe Nama was Kindness and Justice or Kindness and Integrity, because I could feel the kind serene aura around Phoebe. Phoebe was clearly Kindness Patience. A good chunk of my anxiety melted, this woman isn't scary. I've seen scary, this is a nice and kind human.

She claps her hands together. “That's wonderful.” She even sighs in relief. How could I be afraid of her?

“What about me?” I turned and looked at Ash, who had moved her head on the table. Very close to me. 

She has piercing brown eyes. I could easily see the ring from the overhead light. She turned her entire to me, moving her face so she was eye to eye to me. I got the feeling that she was always like this. Giving whoever she is talking to her full undivided attention and scrutiny. It was suffocating, I nearly flinched.

“I've Heard You're Quite Weird But Nice.” I responded. I don’t want to lie to Ash, she looks so genuinely interested. 

She laughed, and clapped. “Yes, yes. That's me, that's me.” She smiled brightly, genuinely delighted at what I said. “Lovely! Aren't you the dearest thing?” She softly tapped my head twice. Her smile easily met her eyes, but it was off. She just seemed lost in her own world. She really didn't care if people thought she was weird?

Lost in a little world of her own thoughts and observations. I do that… I hated interacting with Margaret and all of her people, but watching them? That was easier, figuring out people's ticks, people watching was as close to fun as I got.

I wasn't interested in hanging out in big groups talking about puzzles and more. I like sitting next to Nama thinking about the world around me. I space out thinking so often these two days.

Even now I could still feel others stares, and no matter how much I tried to ignore it completely, it still wedged its way into my mind and made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. People sill made me uncomfortable. 

I think this is fine, have few close friends instead of a large group, to be a little quiet and introspective. I'm not less of a Papy, I think. I wander over to Nama, still dragging Blue with me, and lean against her arm. It’s not who I was, but I’m not who I was. 

Sitting there surrounded by my new family, I feel strangely at peace with myself. This is it, my scars are here and visbal, and it's not a big deal.

I smile up at the ladies talking in sign again, then turn to blue. “Thank You.”

He stared a moment longer, a beat of silence. “I'm not sure what I did, but no problem. We’re friends now!” 

He gaspes. “ _DI_ d you know that there are bitty phones???” He announced this revelation with excited vigour.

Before I even got the chance to speak he started up again. “They can only call and text, bu _ t that's still really cool- _ and we should get some and trade phone numbers.” He stopped and looked extremely nervous. “ I mean only if you want to-”

“Yes! Of Course I would love to.” I responded immediately, cutting off his anxiety with my honest excitement.

He smiles in response. “Then it’s a plan.”


	3. Patterns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shye gets in a fight, and a new bitty
> 
> Poncho is wants to take a nap
> 
> Shye is exhausted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only like 3 of my teaches understand, google classroom. So all the due dates and assignments are fucked. Kill me now, how tf do I feel like I have more work!! And seasonal depression from quarantine???   
> but hey i wrote the chapter!!!!! lmao!!!
> 
> ^^^HEY SO^^^
> 
> some asshole calls shye the r slur, then she punches them. so this is a trigger warning

**Chapter Three**

**/The Great Poncho’s Pov\**

It's been a short while since I've got this phone, and I’ve learned I love the thing. It was small, for a human, with a horizontal built in keyboard. It functioned like a computer, a bitty computer. 

That was 4 inches tall, the same height as me. Much more bitty friendly than a touch screen phone. Though due to its size and lack of touch screen all I can use it for is texting. 

I've also learned that Blue is an avid texter, and sitting in a room for eight hours a day is more fun with him. Also, I legitimately refuse to call people by their name once they are nicknamed. 

Waves: I'm back! 

Myself: What happened?

Waves: Mom needed me to get the extra water out of the food

Waves: Now Mom is baking with Purple, Orange and Yellow 

Myself: Couldn't stand the heat?

Waves: Too much fire for me thank you -_-, personally walked myself out of the Kitchen

Waves: You doing anything?

I turn to the lock door where the stampede still loudly rages, 30 children running in the gym for a mile. Very good for their health, not so much for mine. Especially if I wanted to live for the next 10 minutes.

Myself: Avoiding the children that Shye teaches like the plague

Waves: What happened?? Did they do something?

Myself: There running a mile and I’m very crushable

Waves: Big Yikes

Waves: Did you make the little room pillow for things in the office yet??

I look up from my phone assessing the blanket fort. Soft? Check. Blankets covering everything but the entrance? Check. Relaxation and safety? Check. 

Perfect blanket fort assembled in the safe zone.

Myself: The blanket fort assembled, max comfort reached.

Myself: It is now the ‘Comfort cave’

Myself: It's also cool B)

Waves: Wish I could see it, sounds nice :/

Myself: That's tough, huh?

Waves: Jerk

Waves: How's your sign going

Myself: My fingerspelling is very good. I have to learn actual words now :/

Myself: Mr.Wilson gave me another study list, and Nama teaches me words when she uses them so ehhhhhhhhhh not bad

Waves: Sounds hard 

Myself: I can excel in all areas, all I have to do is train

Waves: Practicing that much must be hard

Myself: My hands will run off, after suing me

Waves: :0 

I poked my head out of my blanket fort, looking out for the bright flash, there was no bell.

The very bright light that signaled class change flashed again, and I was finally free from school. Nama would be returning soon.

Myself: School is finally over, we should be leaving in 10 min.

Waves: She doesn't have another teacher meeting tonight?

Myself: Nope, none the rest of this month

I hear Nama enter the little gym office space. Her footsteps get closer till I see her crouching down in front of the entrance of the blanket fort.

I watch Nama walk back to the rest of our stuff and pack it onto her teacher suitcase thing. I unplug my phone and sluggishly walk out of my comfort cave. 

Maybe exercising for three hours straight after two years of just about nothing wasn't the best idea in the world. I carry my phone out of the cave, and slide it into the bitty pack phone carrier, then secure it safely to my back. 

I walk on air up to the table where Nama is packing up. Maybe I could exercise once for 15 minutes when I get here, once for fifthteen minutes an hour after lunch and once fifteen minutes and an hour before leaving so I dont go stir crazy sitting without over straining myself? 

I should put that into my notes on my computer when I get home. I step onto the table where Nama is finished packing. I wave my hands, catching her attention. She stops looking down at me, waiting for me to sign.

_ “Are we going anywhere later?”  _ Making sure to tilt my head and raise my eyebrows to indicate a question. 

The grammar in Asl was one of the hardest things to grasp in Asl. First tense or time, then the subject, whatever comment, last pronoun. Despite being technically english, It's completely different. 

Which mostly ends in me putting things out of order. 

The second hardest thing being the lack of words like is or are, and using expressions to indicate things. It took a very long while to get, but questions were still hard. 

My face is many things, mainly skeletal and not very expressive.

Nama ponders for a moment, before shaking her head. 

_ “Home.” _ I tilt my head to indicate a question.

She nods, then goes back to her pack strapping everything in. She tugs on the straps confirming nothing will fall out, then she turns to me putting her hand out for me to climb on. 

I hopped on sitting in her hand, she cuddled me close to my chest. One we got moving I took out my phone.

Waves: What are you guys doing later

Myself: Nothing, according to Nama

Myself: Just home

Waves: Fun, free from the boredom

Myself: Yeah, we might watch movies or I can do puzzles while texting you

Myself: Remind me to bring puzzles or something else to study aside from sign; 

Waves: Kay<3

Waves: Ugh, Purple is being super annoying *and loud*

Waves: He's so irritating

Waves: I swear he does this on purpose.

Myself: Sounds annoying :/, wish I could help

Waves: I'm in my sound proof 

Waves: ~Comfort cave~ ;)

Myself: at least you are safe from the ~sounds~

Nama opens the passenger side door and sets me in the seat. She puts the aux cord into her phone then hands it to me.

I scroll through the options before I get to K-pop. The foreign music that I picked when I first went to the aux cord and phone were called K-pop. 

It quickly became my favorite thing to listen to. Apparently Greenie is a ‘Weeaboo’, quote Waves, and she listens to a lot of vocaloid stuff. She tried to get into K-pop but eventually dropped, so there was a song on Nama’s phone from that. 

I added a lot to the K-pop section. The music on Nama’s phone is mostly Red Velvet and Mamamoo. I don't know many K-pop groups, I only know one boy group, but I can safely say that this is my favorite genre. 

Waves: Put on Lo-fi beats to study and chill to

Waves: I've regained inner peace 

Myself: I just put on ReVe festival finale

Waves: You always look so angry and then i know you jam out to the most peppy songs

Waves: Ur weird

Myself: Im very normal

Waves: you: -_- your music: :D

Myself: I like being positive >:(

Waves: OH! Which social media are you gonna be on?

Myself: Insta

Myself: Following all the Red Velvet members, Moonbyul, stan accounts and a bunch of photographers or like trees and people

Waves: oc you are going full stan on Insta

Myself: They are queens Waves

Waves: :p 

Myself: Plus Nama has insta, not anything else

Myself: We share the account

Waves: Me and Ma share a twitter account

Waves: Before you our followers got me screaming about Purple

Myself: I’m so sorry I’ve deprived them of their entertainment

Waves: Think Yellow and Orange have insta

Waves: They mostly post aesthetic pictures they take of them and pastries

Waves: Mom got them a camera

Waves: I think their following you

Myself: Thats cool, they seem nice enough

Myself: Nama loves taking constant photos of me 

Myself: they all go on the account once their approved

Myself: I look great btw

Waves: I know narcissus 

Myself: >:P

Waves: Lmao

I smile to myself, ever since we both got phones we’ve been non stop texting each other for the past week. It made sitting in one room for 8 hours a day while Nama taught her class much easier. 

We mostly talk about Waves’s life, Purple, Yellow, Orange, and any humans who come into the small family bakery. 

Apparently Greenie went there every day, her entire childhood and into her adulthood. She worked there from highschool, then when she was done with her cooking degree she took over for the old couple who owned the bakery. 

Apparently their daughter went into music, and composes background music for commercials, games, movies and tv. They’re very proud of her, but they had no one to pass their business onto, seeing how their only granddaughter is planning to be an artist. 

They asked Greenie to take over, as they were getting old. 

Myself: When is our next meet up 

Waves: I keep forgetting ur new

Waves: every friday group hang out<3

Myself: boo! I want it to be Friday

Myself: luv u, bye <3

Waves: See u tomorrow <3

The car turns off signalling that we're home, nice safe warm lived-in home. Did I always hate school this much? Nama gently lifts me up, and gets out of the car. Then brings me, and her things into the house.

Nama sets me down on the kitchen table, and I silently walk off to my room. 

I open the door, and enter my room. I stop to peer at the large table with all my stuff on it. Now that I'm settled in, I should organize that. 

Hmmm. I walk in the bathroom, then walk upwards to grab a towel. I go back into my room, moving everything to one side, and putting the towel down. Looking around to get a good layout of the room. 

The room was very narrow, and not very long. There was one window that took up a good chunk of the wall on its side, its opposite was taken up by the door, the other two much longer walls were bare. 

The table was pushed sideways against the wall with the window, it was almost too long with how narrow the room was. The bed was pushed next to the table in the same direction, leaving a lot of space between the door and what was in the room. 

You could clearly see under the table and the wall, due to how low the bed was compared to the table.

First things first, I could cover the gap between the table by putting a large blanket over the table. Then I could make the area underneath the table its own space for whatever.

I look at the bedding. I don't use the pillows or the sheets. 

I sleep on the comforter, a pillow larger than me is kinda useless unless I directly sleep on top of it which isn't something I particularly want to do. The entire bed is soft enough for me, I don't need a smaller bed. 

Using the dark purple sheet I could cover the table, and the unsightly area beneath it. I could move all my exercise items under the table, but then I would have no sunlight when I exercise. 

Maybe I could turn it into a living room? Of course I wouldn't use it, I’d be loathed to sit in one place anymore than I have to. 

Then Waves could have a quiet place to chill, or maybe the duo of Orange and Yellow could hang in there while me and Waves are hanging out. I could decorate it how I like, and despite that it wouldn't be used often, I can still make it a nice place for people. 

I walk on air up to my bed, and shove the pillows off the bed, under the table, and move my bitty coffee table down there two. Then I work on dragging the sheet out from under the bed.

Once I started working on the project I couldn't stop. The action of finally working on something again was amazing. The hours couped up in that school was driving me a bit mad. It was nice to put my nose down and make something, or do something.

Eventually the two pillows are on the floor as a makeshift couch, and then I got the sheet over the table. I quickly started organizing everything else. Amazingly, the day I got my phone Nama bought me a small chromebook like computer to use at home. 

I quickly decided to put my clothes, work out things, and the magic vitamins on the right wall, and my computer, puzzles, and papers on the left. Leaving the space in front of the window free for leisure activities, aside from the bitty couch I put in front of it. 

The couch that I’m currently laying down on after putting everything in its newly decided proper place.

Mostly so disassociating, and self introspection in the sunlight is more comfortable. Only because I always ended up laying on the floor, thinking about whatever was bothering me.

I always start with a question, ‘am I ok? What do I need?’ then it spirals, and I learn things I don't like. 

Like my depersonalization, including the fun side effect of my fucked sense of time, and bad memory. 

It honestly took me awhile to believe the people at the center when they said I had been there for two years, all the days of sitting in the same yellow room blurred together. 

Only randomly taken out in a yellow cage of a bitty carrier. If I never see another ‘bright cool yellow room’ it will be too fucking soon.

Even more annoyingly when someone is aggressive to me I get angry and I'm not scared of them, but when someone is nice I'm scared of them not liking me or surprising them. 

I can't understand my own thoughts. It's those thoughts and memories that make me hate being alone and doing nothing with a passion, and I really shouldn't be thinking about it. 

I roll over on the couch and rub my face. While investigating my own ticks and quirks and connecting them to what caused them is nice, but there are consequences. 

I sit up pointedly ignoring my headache, and the pain behind my eyelights. While I do understand myself more after self analyzing, thinking about what’s hurting me hurts. 

I moved so that I was laying on the couch on my back instead of my stomach, the sun was out. The light fell where it may, and it laid on me. I stare out the window. 

The difference one window in a room can make. The grass and leaves gently blew in the wind, while I watched them unmoving. I'm exhausted, the sun looked like it was maybe about 8 o’clock? 

I silently ignore my headache and exhaustion as a stand up stretch, and it feels like my soul sild back closer to my body and everything feels more slightly more real. Not completely real.

Ok that's enough. Introspection time is over and done for today, I don't need to encourage my mild insomnia. What I need to be around someone, I need to get my energy up.

I hopped off the table onto the bed, then I walked over to the door- opening it with blue magic and making a b-line for Nama’s room. The door was easily pushed passed, and I peered in. Nama was laying on her bed staring at the words on the television, watching a movie or Tv show.

Honestly I didn't care to bother her, spending time does not have to mean talking. I walk up to her bed plopping down resting my head on her arm, half watching the movie. She didn't even look away when she moved me closer to herself. I have no clue why she choses lay in one spot for hours at a time, but I'm grateful. I've suddenly taken up interest in doing that exact thing quite often now.

That's how we spent most of our days.

I get up at ‘fuck o’ clock’, metaphor courtesy of waves, get showered and dressed, then I make breakfast. We go to school, Shye teaches, and I keep making a more elaborate bitty living space in her office. 

We come home, I continue to build an elaborate bitty house equivalent, I watch movies with Nama, then go to bed.

Repeat.

For a good couple of months.

It was a nice little routine. I kept finding new things to build, so I never got bored making things. Of course, Waves teased me relentlessly for doing the same thing everyday, and I informed him that he was doing the same thing. Now that was hilarious.

This friday we decided to break up the perfectly fine monotony by going to the park, before meeting up with everybody.

It was wonderful outside. It had rained yesterday so the grass was greener, the flowers were thriving, and the trees looked healthy. 

It also smelled like rain, which was something that always makes the world feel just that bit more special. I was laying flat on my back staring up at the shade that trees provided. 

Nama decided laying on top of a table in the shade and staring at the trees is the correct activity when going to the park, and I have to agree. Something about my life makes me more willing to relax. Must be my hatred of constantly being keyed up.

It was a half day at school so we got out early, no one was around. Which was great until, It wasn't.

“I can't believe we got a wild edgy with a knife for a leg, they'll pay a pretty penny for this bugger.”

“Or we could fight with him ourselves, get some damn respect.”

I sigh, loudly. On my relaxation day? Seriously?

I sit up and wave my hands to get Nama's attention.

She looks at me, removing her sunglasses.

_ “Bitty ring collectors” _ , then I point in the direction I hear the people talking from.

_ “Lots” _

_ “No, Two.” _

After the short exchange, Nama hops up and hands me my phone. 

Before she can even sign “ _ police” _ I'm already dialing.

Eventually, the two men come into view. One was a short round man with glasses, jean shorts and a solid color shirt. The other was a taller spindly man, with similar jean shirts, though his shirt sleeved shirt had a slogan on it. They looked like a stock photo for suburban dads.

Which almost made the situation more creepy, why can’t evil people look evil? That would make life much simpler. 

After simply saying to the police that there were thieves, bitty abusiers, and stating the location I hanged up. Not bothering to move from my perch.

They stop when they spot me and Nama.

“Hey is that another bitty?” Glasses says, turning to spindle.

“Yeah, a papy.” Spindle replies.

Nama was still watching them like a hawk, unaware of what they were saying, and unwilling to turn her back to find out. 

Glasses looked at Nama for a moment, then mumbles something to spindle. The start to advance.

I looked down at Nama’s phone, bunch up my poncho and began warming up my magic to use the phone.

“Listen lady,” Glasses starts.

And record.

“Hand over the bitty and we won't break your bones.” He gestures to me while he says that, and keeps walking forward.

  
  


Nama takes a step forward. “Don’t come any closer. I will use violence to protect myself, and my bitty.” 

Of course it doesn't sound right, she's deaf. She's never heard herself or anyone else speak. That doesn't stop the two men from cracking up.

Spindle lightly hits Glasses in the ribs “Is this bitch retarded?” Glasses responds by laughing harder, and adding on. “Is that your special bitty? You need help living? I bet the thing is retarded too.”

Wow! A slur, and stupidity? Is there a bingo for being the worst? “BOTH OF YOU ARE A WASTE OF AIR, STOP THREATENING US, AND LEAVE US ALONE.” 

They seemed to notice that I was in fact a sentient creature when I said that, because the both immediately got irate. 

  
Spindle glares at me. “Shut the fuck up demon, you gonna die slowly once we beat up this stupid  retard. ”

I tilt my head. Really? “A BABY WOULD HAVE MORE COMMON SENSE, AND BUCKETS LOADS MORE COMPASSION.” 

He did insult us first, and threaten first, and techanlly blackmail? Bases seem to be covered when the police listen to this. 

Spindel gets angrier. Then he attempts to, read  _ attempts to _ , run up and attack me. Nama swings on him so fast and hard, that he doesn't even get a chance to take two full strides. The crack was also stupid loud.

I gasp “I CAN'T BELIEVE HE TRIED TO ATTACK ME!” I said in a fairly convincing tone. Can’t pick up the phone and be ready to move, so narration will have to do. 

Glasses spuddred “You bitch!”

Nama, once again, says. “Don’t come closer and I wont attack.”

Stupid never learns.

Went down in one throat punch.

I hear the loud sounds of sirens, and I turn my head to look over. 

I carefully remove the sim card from Nama’s phone.

Four cops had showed up. They look at the men on the ground.

One of the cops speaks up. “Excuse me ma’am, please put up your hands.”

I stand up to address them “SHE'S DEAF.” I explain calmly. “PLEASE COME OVER HERE TO TALK TO ME.”

One of the cops softly walked up to Nama in her field of vision, and pulled out her phone to communicate with Nama

Two of the officers went over to the unconscious men. One of them called an ambulance, while checking vitals. Then the two barely conscious men were questioned.

And one of them approached me. 

He cleared his throat. “So Mr.Bitty what happened here?”

I don't move for a second, then I point at the phone. “I RECORDED WHAT HAPPENED IF YOU WANT THAT, THOUGH IT'S STILL RECORDING.”

The guy blinked at me, then grabbed the phone. Pressing something. Sitting on the bench and listening to the first part of the recording.

_ “Hand over the bitty and we won't break your bones.”  _

_ “Don’t come any closer. I will use violence to protect myself, and my bitty.” _

He stops it. “That's the deaf lady?” I nod. The man nods back, then the man walks over to the lady talking to Nama.

He informs her of the phone and recording. Then after a quick exchange with Nama, walk off to the other cops and the arriving ambulance.

Nama wobbles over to me.  _ They are getting arrested. I don’t want to be part of the legal process unless I’m really needed. _ She sighed,  _ I'm happy that you recorded so we don't get in trouble, but I've lost my phone. _

I lift my poncho and hand her the sim card.  _ Will this make it easier? _

She smiles and pats my head.  _ I'm just happy I wrote down all my contacts _ .

Nama picks me up, when I remember something.  _ They had a bitty. _

Nama blinks and gestures to the ground, and I nod.

We root around for the bitty when eventually we find the passed out bitty in a metal container and a knife leg. 

After taking him out of the container. We got in the car and headed straight to The People’s Bitty Store, and the magical shop appeared quicker this time. 

Maybe because we wanted to get there faster.

Nama grabbed both of us and stumbled while running into the shop, not stopping or slowing down for anything.

Nama spotted an employee, and ponced on them like a wolf. Before the poor employee could get a word out she shoved the edgy into their hands.

The worker looked down. “HOLY FUCK-” Then they lowered their voice “where did you find him?” 

“HE WAS BEING TAKEN TO A RING.” I answer as calmly as possible as not to freak out the worker more.

They push me and Nama into a waiting room, then sprint off.

Nama sagged down into one of the large recliners. Quietly accepting that she's gonna be in here for the rest of the day waiting on how the edgy bitty is doing. She was slightly shaking, and breathing heavily.

I frown at the obvious fear racking her. “ _ Go to sleep, they have an all day policy for waiting on sick or injured bittys.”  _ I sign slowly, unsure of some of my words.

She seemed to understand my suggestion because she pulled back the chair and closed her arms after pulling me close to her chest.

It was about 2 P.M. Luckily we had the weekend to sleep in before we had to go back to school. The soft ebb and flow of such a strong soul in such close proximity, slowly lulled me to sleep. Maybe integrity, and kindness? 

Either way the softness lulled me into a soft dreamless sleep.

  
  
  


Poncho woke up, and he moved to look at the clock. 3 P.M. I can't believe I slept for an entire hour. No wonder I feel uncomfortable. I look up at Nama, completely knocked out. She fell off the face of the earth. Good, she needs rest. 

I stretch calmly, going through my normal routine to gain a sense of normalcy. We have one hour before we're supposed to meet up with Greenie and Horror. I move to Nama’s side, taking my phone out of her pocket. I open up to my texts.

Myself: Waves, we are at The People’s Bitty Store. We found a heavily injured bitty. Please bring food and a blanket, Nama got into a fight.

Waves: I’m fucking sorry!?

Myself: I even took a nap

Waves: Poncho?? Not the time for jokes??

Waves: Are you ok???

Waves: Shit neither of you are hurt right?

Myself: Fine, but tired and hungry

Waves: 10 minutes tops, it will be a warm meal

Myself: Thank you

I put my phone with Nama. My soul, it was bravery and integrity at one point, like all papy bittys. Well not like how humans have traits, the white color was from having all colors at once. 

Love, hope, and compassion made from that combination. Those two were the strongest. Now it was perseverance and integrity as the strongest two. 

Thankfully, the strongest trait in the white soul cocktail didn't change too much of my magic or I would be more worried for my integrity trait. Integrity had really nothing to do with gravity magic, that's just how human souls react to it. 

Blue and orange attacks were colored like that because that's how you're supposed to respond, naturally reacting with the magic in the air and turning that color.

I look around. I need to talk to someone. Need to know about the edgy. I look at Nama, she needs good news when she wakes up.

I hop off, a bitty on a mission. 

I walk up, near the ceiling to avoid the humans and monsters wandering around. I quietly exit the waiting room and look around for that worker who took the edgy bitty.

I eventually spot them and I hop down to where they were, landing on the air behind them. Walking into their view slowly.

They eventually notice me. “You were the bitty with the woman who brought the knife leg edgy, correct?”

Now that I'm looking at them, they are an alligator monster. I haven't really been looking at the workers, so much disappointment. But Cry is gone, very gone. 

“YES, SHYE IS STILL ASLEEP. I WAS WONDERING TO THE STATE OF HIM. IS HE OK?” I say trying to look them in the eyes.

“Well, he seems to have a concussion. That will take about 7 to 10 days to heal without magical assistance, much less with it. Maybe 2 to 3 days, but that's if the soul concussion will accept magic.” They say without urgency, which means that the bitty is ok.

A concussion happens when your soul rattles around too hard in your body, they suck. 

“CAN WE TALK TO HIM WHEN HE WAKES UP?” I say, In case I need to take Nama home as soon as Greenie gets here. “OF COURSE I'LL QUIET DOWN.” I add on.

They stop to look at me, and tap their pencil to their chin. “Yeah, but it can't be too long. He needs to rest.”

I nod politely, and make a b-line to the waiting room. 

I enter and Greenie is handing Nama a meal and Waves was pacing on the armrest. I drop down, to where he couldn't see me, then slowly climb up, and casually sit next to him.

Waves completes his pace and stumbles into me, letting out a small scream falling off. I grabbed his arm, saving him.

“Poncho!” He regains his balance. “Where were you! My water was turbulent in worry!” He says pointing to how quickly the water that his magic was made up of was moving.

“I Was Checking Up On The Edgy With The Knife Leg.” I say smoothly. 

He sputters. “I’M SOrry  _ what _ ?!” He pauses. “Is he ok?”

“Concussion.” I say with a frown.

“Yikes.” He says moving to sit down next to me.

The waiting room door opens, and out steps Horror. 

Grennie was in sweatpants and a pink t-shirt. She clearly rushed out the house with a mission. Horror, on the other hand, was wearing the top hat and veil, a long black dress, and was carrying a thermostat.

She moved quickly to Nama’s side. “I knew Greenie here would forget a drink for your meal” Horror calmly said signing while talking. “ _ And I got you a replacement phone.” _

Greenie blushed and they had a sign conversation while thanked Horror with all her soul.

Shye stopped and pointed a fork at me, like I had been here the whole time. Greenie stopped. “ _ Yes I brought him something, let me grab it.” _

Nama then turns to me, putting her fork down. “ _ Is the edgy ok?” _

I smile at Nama’s trust and understanding. “ _ He should wake up soon, he just has a concussion.” _

Nama smiles and nods, then pats me on the head. “ _ Warn me when you run off. _ ”

I smile and nod, and Nama goes right back to eating.

She really does just roll with the punches huh?

Horror walks over to me and places a small blanket on me. “Thank You Horror.” I say up to her. She smiles and waves her hands.

I leaned over so that my head was on Waves’s shoulder, and closed my eyes to rest for a bit.

  
  
  


Eventually they left, after much promising to Waves that I was ok, and would take care of myself.

And eventually the alligator protégé, called us in to talk to the Edgy,

I wave my hands in front Nama to get her attention. “ _ Edgy is awake _ .” 

She nods and stands up, quickly stretching.

The alligator monster, realizing that Nama was very deaf, lifted their hands. 

“ _ It seems when you attacked the man with glasses, the edgy bitty in the metal container when flying and got knocked out with a concussion. The bitty when you brought them was too disoriented, and exhausted to move.” _

__ They paused to give us a chance to process the information, then began to sign again.

_ “They’ve been resting, and we got them some healing magic for them. He should recover by tomorrow if he keeps up his recovery rate.”  _ The alligator monster signs with surprising grace.

Nama listens(?), reads(?), something- intently. Nodding the entire time.

“ _ When we asked him if he would like to talk to the woman and bitty who brought him in he agreed, on the condition that you would explain to him what happened.”  _ The worker then paused for a response.

“ _ Of course. Poncho will translate for me. _ ” Nama answered.

They nod and begin walking out, waving their hands and a ‘follow me’ motion.

Nama keeps a slight pace behind them, before we enter a room much like the room I was in when I was brought in. Actually it was the same room, with the same tech. Bun, the bunny monster whose ears were over one of their eyes and looked beyond exhausted.

Nama set me on the table on the opposite side from the edgy. He had a dark cloth wrapped around his eyes, and he was in a hospital gown. His bones had several slits on them which, in my unprofessional opinion, looked natural. Like he was born with them. 

His knife leg seemed much less painful, It almost looked like a normal prosthetic. The knife was also completely dull on the tip, most likely from walking. Though the part that would be his calf was still sharp.

I sat down, in the normal way I always sit. I didn't mind the side lean that much, I looked good with my poncho. 

The edgy regards me with caution, before deciding that I wasn’t dangerous. 

I smile. “Hello, I’m Poncho. I will try to answer any of your questions.” I say in my normal smiley tone, though without the actual cheer. It sounded like a happy deadpan, and I was too tired to care about my voice.

“m’con.” He says slowly. “Who’s that?” He says pointing his thumb at Nama.

“That is Shye, she's my human. She's also deaf.” I say patiently. Con was so wary that it was almost exhausting. This conversation was going to be a minefield, huh? I sigh, inwardly. If Con needs help I will make him feel safe enough to ask us, even If I have to traverse egg shells.

“so, what happened exactly? i was kinda in a soup can.” He said, while dragging his knife leg up to his chest. Making an almost unnoticeable indent on the table.

“Well, me and Nama, that's my nickname for Shye, were at the park. We heard the two men talking about you and I called the police. They approached us, Nama gave them a warning that they could leave or fight.”

I make a vague hand gesture. “Then they both got laid out on the ground, after getting punched by Nama. The police arrested the two men, and took Nama’s phone. As I recorded the whole thing. Then we brought you here.” 

I tried to put a little more emotion so I didn't sound like an ‘annoyed customer service robot’, as Waves put it.

The edgy eyed me. “she,” He pointed at Nama with his thumb. “laid them both out with one punch each?” He sounded distantly impressed.

I nod, and respond. “Yes.” 

“heh, nice.” He smirks to himself and snickers. I saw the huge smile of someone who heard karma come around on some assholes who hurt them, good for him he deserves some good news. 

“Is your leg, forced on you.” I looked at his leg, guesting on the knife.

He snaps out of his daydream, and if I could see his eyes he would be blinking. “no, i uh made it myself.”

I smiled calmly. “Is there anything else you need?”

Con hums. “is she, uh, adopting?” He gestures to his leg. “i'm gonna be here for a while if not.”

I didn’t let my surprise show on my face despite the fact that I never expected the edgy to just straight up ask me that. 

I turned to Nama. “ _ Can you adopt him? He wants to come home with us, he says it’s because he's unlikely to get adopted” _

Nama looked at me then looked at Con. “ _ All we need to do is buy him clothes? Most of the other stuff I already bought for you, right?” _

I nod. “ _ Yeah, at most there might be some edgy specific items. But I doubt it. Just clothes.” _ I slowly sign, while thinking.

Nama nods. “ _ Are you ok with a new addition?” _

I nod, “ _ Yes. _ ”

She clapped. “ _ Then that’s that.”  _

I turn back to Con. “Nama said yes, we can adopt you.” I pause remembering the conversation with the alligator monster. “We can do that tomorrow, because that's when you're discharged, yeah?”

He nodded, and fell back. Seemingly dissociating. The alligator tech signed to Nama while she lifted me up and began to exit. 

Nama holds me close to her chest, the soft ebb, and flow of a human soul’s power. Nama wandered out of the bitty store, moving to rub her eyes every now and then. Still a bit exhausted and sleepy.

She dodges all the people coming in, moving slowly. We eventually exit the story, and Nama begins a light jog to her car. She opens the door and puts me in the passenger seat, turning the seat heat up.

She flops into her seat rubbing her eyes, and begins rubbing her head. I fling a bone attack into her view, to gain Nama’s attention. Shye lethargically turns her head towards me. 

I signed to Nama as soon as I got her attention. “ _ Are you ok? You should go to sleep as soon as we get home.” _ She nods, and slowly turns on the car.

The drive was silent. As I didn't want to overstimulate, and brother Nama with the vibrations of the music in the car. Eventually we get home and park on the street. 

Nama slumped back, turning off the car, picked me up and began to her house. Stumbling in. Nama gestured to her room with her free hand.

A very obvious invitation to nap.

I declined, while it would be fun to lay on Nama, I already took a nap. She nodded, and set me on the kitchen table. Then she tiredly wandered into her room. She almost threw off her outside clothes when she got into her room.

I could clearly hear Nama flop on her bed, and assumedly passed out as soon as she hit her bed. I watched her and sighed in relief. She seemed so emotionally exhausted, getting into a fight, dealing with police, just happens to do that to people.

I camly hop off the table onto the floor. The great Poncho has much to do. I stride over to my room, quickly swinging the door open. I hopped on top of my bed and slid to the area underneath the table. 

Beneath the table sat two pillows in front of a coffee table. The ‘room’ was covered in hand made decorations, made of foam, fabric and paper. I pull both of the pillows to the back of the room. I go back to the table grabbing some string, and returning to beneath the table. 

I wrap both of the pillows together, making a makeshift bed out of the two pillows. I push the hand man chair and couch in front of the coffee table. The edgy bitty most likely needed a space of their own. 

What do edgy bittys even like doing? Breaking things? I sigh. I can just look up what they like doing on my computer. I know they like puns, mustard, and edgy stuff. 

Actually don’t a good chunk of edgys like sewing and knitting? I’m sure I'm not making that up. They mentioned it in those bitty classes for papys.

If so then he most likely would like my crafting supplies to fix up the couch and chairs that I made. My craftsmanship of the wood was wonderful, but the sewing on the couches for the cloth were… not the best.

I look at my paper decorations hanging from the top of the table. If he destroys them I can simply make more, and that should hopefully curb his more … destructive tendencies. 

He might want to hang out in the living room, to use the Tv in there to watch movies and Tv. That sounds like something edgys might want to do.

I honestly prefer hanging out in the kitchen, sitting on top of the fridge when I needed a change of scenery. I never really went into the other rooms in the house. Nama lived in a townhouse, next door to several people, and above one.

Our house was one floor. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen and dining room, living room, laundry room, a few closets scattered around, and one balcony off the end hallway. I don't really go into any room besides Nama’s, mine, the kitchen and sometimes the balcony. 

Surprisingly I didn't much like the openness of the balcony, it made me feel exposed. The bathroom didn't have any windows, and made the room feel almost oppressing. The laundry room wasn't bad, it had a window and generally smelled nice. Just somewhere I don't prefer.

The living room was useless to me. Why watch movies on the couch, when I can cuddle with Nama while watching the movie. A much superior experience if I do say so myself.

Nama never bothered with the living room, unless Horror and Greenie happened to be over. Or she was super exhausted and wanted an immediate nap. Something I greatly disapprove of because her bed is just a couple steps away.

The edgy bitty can easily have the living room, almost to themself. Of course we can enter whenever we want, but we never bother to go in there. So the edgy should be fine on his own.

I take off my poncho and put it on my table, and roll up my sleeves.

I need to adjust underneath the table so it can be a suitable place as a bedroom for Con, then I need to slightly adjust the living room. To make it softer, and less able to be destroyed.

Yes! I can do this. This is how I can help someone like me. 

Now I need to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet Con!!!! sup asshole, I missed you <3


	4. welcome to your home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok now you two have to talk to each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my life blood  
> keeps this thing moving
> 
> this chapter is shorter, but hey! the world is on fire! and my executive dysfunction is kicking my ass!  
> so i do have a reason

Chapter Four

/The Great Poncho’s Pov\

I sat around on the top of the fridge. The house looked nicer? There was really nothing too destructive out, and most edgys had enough sense not to break a tv. 

I sighed. Nama woke up from her nap, and then went to bed at 1am. It was almost noon and she still wasn’t awake. Which is normal for the time she went to bed, but my schedule was all fucked up.

I stared down from my perch on the fridge, simply looking at the sunlight. Everything was prepared. Privacy and personal space was accounted for. Things must go smoothly, everything is perfect.

Ping!

I automatically turn to my phone.

Waves: Are you ok??  
Myself: Mm  
Waves: If you had hair it would of fallen out  
Waves: If you don't stop stressing, Imma come over there  
Waves: and make you take a fuckin nap or something  
Myself: thank you Waves, but no need

Of course I had texted him most of the time I was awake. Waves got just about every thought that crossed my mind. Which was surprisingly therapeutic. 

Waves had his own life. He really couldn't text for long stretches of time. He had a job at the bakery. They were only really busy during breakfast, lunch and dinner rush. Any other time he was either glued to Greenie or his phone.

It was almost noon, and Waves wouldn't be responding for a while now. They weren't slammed per say, but he never had the time to text.

I really only spoke to waves half of my time, crafting things the other half. Especially when at work, we both really had nothing to do half of the time. Plus we never got into that awkward ‘not knowing what to say’ phase when seeing each other in person on fridays.

I heard light rusling in Nama’s room. I stand up and stretch. I press out the wrinkles from the purple cloth that I put on top of the fridge, and calmly hopped down to the air tucking and rolling. Holding my phone close to my chest as not to break it

I quietly moved to make one cup of coffee, three waffles, and heat up some sausages. So by the time she came down it would be ready, we can eat and leave in a timely manner.

I put my phone back in my room and by the time It was plugged into everything was ready to be plated. Which was still the most irritating part of cooking, and thankfully the quickest. 

Nama eventually sprinted into the kitchen after her shower, looking at the time, and face palming. Something I definitely don't laugh at, I only snickered.

Nama dug into her food quickly, I ate half of the magic strawberry waffle, and drank some magic orange juice. Which was amazing.

I took a quick look around and the house was certainly lively. Margaret's house was almost completely gold with at most 5 very prominent decorations in every room. The house was minimalist in the worst way. 

One day I looked up ‘one color room torture’ and learned about white room torture. The room I was kept in was like that, but gold. No fucking wonder I hated it. The lights left no shadow, everything I did was to go with the decor. Lord knows I wasn't supposed to speak unless spoken too. 

Sure now I might mostly wear purple, blacks and whites to fit the theme; but i'm not going to get screamed at for wearing red every now and then. I wasn't going to get in trouble If I put rainbow decorations in my room. I know that because my room is covered in every color in paper decorations.

Nama’s house is so much different. Nama has an abundance of nickacks in every room. Magazines, an overwhelming amount of blankets, and books litter just about every surface. The house looked lived in, not like a torture room.

At least learning about that explained my depersonalization.

I look around again, shaking myself out of my thoughts. I look at the decorations I made. I personally like the sticky note origami that I leave all over the tables. Little paper animals and flowers everywhere that move if you pull them.

I think Nama loves them, as much as I do.

A tap on the table, and I look up. Nama was fully dressed, shoes jacket, keys, and holding her hand out. She must have gotten everything put away, and gotten dressed when I was dissociating.

I hop on to Nama’s hand, sitting down criss-cross style. I only sat side lean on non-moving surfaces, because It was annoying losing my balance all the time.

Nama lightly sets me down in the passenger seat, and puts her phone next to me. I put my poncho over my hand and decided to listen to something… invigorating. So that I can hopefully ignore my anxiety.

The drive was a normal, if not slightly longer, amount of time. Which could be easily attributed to the fact that Nama wasn’t in a hurry, and I was glaring a hole into the dashboard. What am I going to do with another person around?

We pulled into The Peoples Bitty store, adoption center(?), either way we were there. Nama stopped the car, unbuckled, and got out in one smooth motion. Easily lifting me with her free hand, and hugged me into the normal place near her soul.

Unsurprising Nama’s soul calmed me down. Kindness souls tended to get anxiety easier, but integrity souls were as stubborn as the day was long. Maybe it cancelled out? Either way it was very soothing.

Nama entrend and found the alligator monster and began to sign at them, I mostly checked out of the conversation. If most monsters were taught hands I wonder why bittys weren't? Nama was eventually led by the alligator monster into a bitty waiting room.

The edgy bitty, who surprisingly still had his knife leg, was sitting in a room with several other bittys. Away from the others. Though it seems more like the other bittys were more avoiding him, because of ya know- the knife leg.

Nama set me down next to Con, whom I gave a quick nod to, and began signing to the worker. 

“Do you have the papers I have to sign? Anything I need to know?” Nama quickly questioned.

The worker, Bun, nodded. “Yes I have the papers, I’ll give you them in a moment.” Bun paused for a moment, to let us process the information. “Con here signed up for monthly check ups, so you have to check him in with us once a month or we take him back”

Monthly required check ups? I didn't even know that was a thing, and I probably wouldnt of chosen it. Does he not trust us? Already? Then why would he agree to live with us?

Nama stopped and tilted her head. “Does he think we're in rings?”

Bun shook their head. “Just cautious is all.” 

Nama nodded her head in understanding.

I turned my head to look at Con who was clearly eyeing me in suspsition. I was suddenly reminded of all the bittys behind me and walked over to Nama, who picked me up without even looking at me.

I peer over at the dozens of eyes staring at me, and it's like I’m back in that golden bird cage being stared at by one of Margaret's many irritating guests. The memory made my marrow crawl, and I decided to tune out while Nama was signing the papers. Concentrating on the sound of the pen.

Eventually Nama opened a hand and moved it to the edgy bitty. Con eyed Nama’s hand, carefully stepping on as to not stab her. Nama didn't seem to care about the possibility of being stabbed as she moved Con next to me. 

I put a reassuring hand of acceptance on Con’s shoulder. A rather small, ‘welcome to the family’ gesture. We lock eye sockets, and exchange a quick understanding nod, before I swiftly remove my hand. The physical contact became uncomfortable in a hurry. I used to hug random strangers didn't I? Stars, I could never do that again.

I lean back letting Nama’s soul aura wash over me when I remember. I turned to Con, who had taken my que and leaned back letting her aura wash over him. His posture was relaxed and he didn't have his knife leg close to him. He looked at peace. Which was a far cry from his normal cautious look. I should leave him alone, I can find out Nama’s soul traits later.

I relax in Nama’s arm next to Con. Nama was over to the clothes that Con got to pick out, all while carrying out a one handed conversation with the alligator monster. Which was mostly about if she needs to buy any extra supplies for him, aside from clothes and a bed. Turns out, no.

Nama stops at the area with clothes, and sets both of us down. I slide down easily, while Con seems shaky and unsteady. I grab his arm and help him down. Nama barely turns away from her conversation, but moves her hand to help Con down.

Con turns to me. A very low “thank ya’.“ muttered under his breath. He looked around, and stood up straighter “might just be me, but uh- the sheer amount of people, and the lighting in this is place is so fucking obnoxious.”

I try to stop myself. “Nyeh,” I couldn't stop myself from laughing, eventually I devolved into a mess of Nyeh’s. Con gave me an insulted look, as I calmed down. “I’m Just About The Only Papy Who Will Wholeheartedly Agree With You.” I replied with a smile still in my voice.

He gave me a wry smile. “yer pretty odd for a papy huh?” he questioned. 

I smiled a real smile, unlike the perema grin that all of us have, the question reminded me of Horror. “I Suppose You're Correct.” 

“ya always that quiet?” Con said, almost absent mindedly, as he started walking over to the edgy section.

“Most Of The Time.” I respond truthfully. “My Best Friend Is A Curly”

He snorts. “yeah that makes sense.”

“I Only Talk Loud To Humans.” I say conversationally. “It's A Pretty Nice Habit To Have, I Doubt You’d Like Me Shouting At You All The Time.” A light joke to ease tensions.

“yellin from another bitty makes no mind to me.” Con says almost wistfully. He must be talking about someone. “make no mistake, i do appreciate it.” He tacts on.

I looked up and we were in the Edgy section. If I had face muscles I would frown. It was mostly red, black, and yellow. …Fuck. ”Con?”

“Eh?” He doesn't even turn away.

“I Have A Particular…” How do I phrase this? “Hatred For The Color Yellow, So I’d Appreciate If You Avoided It.” My voice was smooth and slow, and a bit too practised. Old habits die hard, I suppose. 

Con turned back to me, and gave me a knowing look that I wasn't particularly fond of. “a trauma thing?” He went back to grabbing clothes and putting back the yellows, for some purple things. “i get it.”

I feel like recoiling. “Trauma Is A Strong Word.” 

“i know, kid.” 

I freeze up a bit. This-this is why I don't like talking to the older brother judge combo types. They know far too much without even being told. “I’d Prefer If You Didn't Use Your Judge Powers On Me.” I say, as smoothly as I can manage.

“huh?” He looks back over to me. “nah kid, none of that ‘ere.” He grabbed what he had got from the Edgy section, which seemed to only be purple and red hoodies, and made his way somewhere else. “couldn't judge ya if i wanted to.” 

He stops in front of the grillbitty section. “can do this tho.” He snaps his fingers, and his hand sets on purple fire. 

I stare at him. “How The Stars Did A Grimsby And Edgy Tolerate Each Other That Long?” I asked, shocked.

Con laughed. “fuck if i know.” He looked at me. “i don’t really have the ability to judge, i just have the same sort of issues." He walked over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "i don't like yelling from humans."

“Lucky you! Shye is deaf, and doesn't speak. At most you might get aggressive hand signing.” I say with as much optimism as I can muster.

The edgy bursts out laughing. “Yeah, yeah. Ya damn right huh?”

Wow! How uncomfortable but oddly reassuring? Is this why people like the older brother types? This isn't really as bad as I thought it would be. Especially because he's an Edgy. I should really stop assuming the worst? Just because one baby blue and edgy was mean to me doesn't mean all of them are assholes, the human they were with didn't look like the nicest person in the world. Maybe it was just their environment? Either way I shouldn't dwell on it.

The Edgy wandered into the grilbitty section and wandered into the Ray section. He grabbed a few t-shirts and pants. He turned to me "there less flammable. though the edgy bitty hoodies are better." 

"let's go back to shye yeah? yeah." He started walking back to where Nama was handing papers over to that puck fellow. I silently offered a hand up to Con, who declines. He steps, and he's gone

A small squeak of surprise from Nama, and I can guess where he went. I walked up and over on the air, sitting next to Con who was lounging on Nama's arms.

Nama grabbed the clothes from Con and began walking over to the checkout line. All the newer births were staring at Con. Which? Of course they were. He has a knife for a leg. 

I turn to look at Con from the corner of my eye. One of the advantages of being a little brother: taller, and no eyelights. It is impossible to tell we're we are looking. Con looked impossibly calm. Like there aren't a bunch of people staring at him. Probably because he just doesn't care? I wish I didn't care, maybe I can work on that?

Nama waits in the line. All while I ponder my ability to train myself out of a specific fear. That's what exposet therapy is right? Maybe look up one of those dealing with stress lists I keep coming upon. Yes I could learn those and at least try to fight off that panic? Once I get down my anxiety, I can finally be unbothered by the staring.

"ya really like spacing out, don't ya?" I snap out of it and look over to Con, who is out- oh were outside. 

"Yes, I Do. It's An Old Habit." I say cautiously.

He hums. "i can't zone out really, real light sleeper as well." 

"I Sleep Like A Rock." I say bluntly.

Nama opens the car door and I must be zoned out again. I help Con down onto the seat. He stands on one foot and carefully sits down, putting his knife leg over his other one. Oh, he's trying not to cut the seat. That's very nice of him.

I sit a respectful distance away from him. "Most Edgys Don't Really Like Accepting Help." I can't help being a bit curious.

He shrugs noncommittally, and that has to be one of the most annoying older brother type things. "just seeing." He says vaguely. What does that even mean?

"What About Your Leg? Why Did You Keep it Like That." So very stabby, I would think the techs would remove such a thing from him. If Nama wasn't so... like herself he probably wouldn't have gotten adopted. 

He looks at me, and gives a wry smile. He chuckles softly and in a teasing tone asks: "ah? this thing? real noesy thing ain't ya?" 

“Being Nosey Was My Main Hobby Until Very Recently.” I say enjoying the light tone and banter.

He gives me an odd look and a laugh. "paranoia." He says simply and I get the distinct that the 'why' on that topic was off limits. " 'surprisingly'," he said, words dripping with sarcasm. "my leg attachment isn't causing me any harm.” He chuckles. “so they let it stay. also gave me a normal attachment for my leg in case." 

“How Did You Make It So It Didn't Hurt You?” Might as well keep asking mildly invasive questions, until he gets mad that is.

“pfffff-i didn’t.” He said with a hearty laugh. “this thing was a repurposed prosthetic from the clinic.” He gave another light chuckle. “i just slapped a knife on it!”

He lightly elbowed me. “i think they were too fuckin dumbfounded by the knife part to realize that it was their fucking leg.” He had a big self congratulatory smile, clearly very amused by their reaction to his leg.

I hum a bit. The workers there weren't so bad. “If Someone Stole My Leg And Replaced Half With A Knife, I Wouldn't Have Recognised It Either.”

He smiles at me. “yer a pretty funny kid.” That turned wry. “unless you're trying to be funny.”

My face flushed. “Excuse Me?!” Clear indignation in my voice.

He laughs, loudly. That ass- “you just seem like the type of person who's funny, ‘nlest your actually trying to make a joke.” He turns to me with the smuggest look. “and judging by your face i'm right.” 

“I-I” I glare at him with my permagrin. “Obnoxious Cunt.”

Con shakes with laughter, a single tear runs down the side of his face. He started coughing, and a strong indignant blush settled over my face.

“thought papy’s didn't cuss?” He says, when he finally calms.

“Cunt Isn't A Cuss Word.” I pause and shrug. “At Least Not here.”

Con laughs again. “your a fucking riot, ya hear?” Then he paused and looked up through the windshield of the moving car.

I attempt a frown. “Is There Something Wrong?”

“nah.” he said swiftly. “someone I used to know said that exact phrase a lot. apparently, he knew someone named riot. wonder if the bastard ever found that riot.”

“What Was He Like?” I can't resist the siren call of prying.

“motherfucker’s name was spoon. weirdly strong magic.” he said wistfully.

“How Strong?” 

Con turned to me with a fierce grin. “strong enough to win over a human.”

A blink. “Huh.” I didn't know that was possible. 

“good thing to have where I was.” Con looked a little too at peace.

Maybe I should stop prying, but at least I have a better idea of the knife leg. Bad home life.

I need to give a show of comradery. “My Old Humans Sucked Too.” Sharing trauma was a good way to make friends, right? That's how it worked with Waves.

“what they do?” Con questions.

“Turned Me Into A Status Symbol.” Talking to Con was quite easy. He seemed so relaxed and down to earth. “It Sucked By the Way. Ever Notice That My Magic Is-”

“silted and robotic? yeah, noticed the moment i met you that you moved like a robot.” He clicked his tongue.

I shrug, I can't control that. “I Was Stuck In this Yellow Room.”

“that explains the hatred of yellow.” He muttered.

Con smacked my hard on the back. “that shit definitely doesnt fuck. on the bright side-” He flicked his fingers and half of his… body set on fir-

“You Obnoxious Little!” The tiny bastard laughed of course.

“A Pun?! Seriously?” He laughed harder.

“yer smiling!” He said elbowing me.

“That's Just My Permagrin!!!!” I say with much offence.

“no the fuck it aint, yer smiling because it was funny.” He said with the most smug obnoxious grin on his face.

“Mayhaps.” I narrow my eye sockets at him.

“mayhap?? oh come on kid, set myself on damn fire for this.” He gestured to his right half, which was still one fire.

“Ok I Am, But I Hate It.” I say definitely no mirth in my voice.

“pff, all ya little brothers are the same. takes goating to admit that ya like my jokes.”

“If I Had Eye Lights I’d Be Rolling Them.” I say threateningly.

He snuffs out the fire of his right half, and smiles. “i know.”

The car stops and I feel much much better about Con living here. I was expecting a roommate I’d end up on neutral good terms on, but he seems we could actually be friends, and rather close ones at that. Waves was amazing, I wouldn't trade him for the world-but it would be nice to have someone around.

The car finally stopped, and maybe me and Con enjoying our conversation so much might have stalled us... just a bit. It was fun, and I don't regret getting to know him. 

The car came to a slow rolling stop.

"shit!" Con loudly exclaimed. "this house nice!" He eyed the house from his seat, looking at it happily through a window.

"It Is?" The house wasn't that big, and he hadn't even been inside to see how cozy it was. How did he know the house was nice?

He turned to me with a wry smirk. Like I had missed a very obvious joke. "newsflash, been dumpster diving for the last couple months." Oh. "how the fuck did you think I got kidnapped?"

I smile brightly to ignore my growing embarrassment. "No Dusty Clue." I clap my hands together, by habit.

Con snorts. "yer a weird kid." A wry smile this time on his face.

Nama was already at the passenger door by the time I looked around. 

I hop up with practised ease, grabbing and pulling Con up with me. Con was very obviously used to someone dragging him around, as he went the perfect amount of limp to not fight- but moved enough to keep up. Nama cuddled us to her chest, and Con sat rather uncomfortably on Nama’s hand. 

Nama unlocked her door and Con shot me a rather intense look. It must be all the locks. I gave him a sidelong smile. “It's Much Easier To Open From The Inside. She's Not Trying To Keep Anything In.” Then I quickly face front and center. Quickly darting my practically invisible eyelights at him. 

Did that work? Is he calmer? Is he scared off? The intense look was gone, and he was eyeing the locks now that we were inside. Whatever he saw he decided it was well enough, and the tension drained out of his shoulders. I tried not to sigh out of relief. That would be weird right.

Nama set us both (and a small shopping) down on the coffee table in the living room, then promptly walked to her room. Presumably to watch movies. Nama wasn't exactly the most sociable person in the world. 

Con looked around a bit. Then made a b-line to a bright pink paper crane I had made, softly pulling at the wings. Then wandering to a blue bird. 

“If You Pull Its Head And Tail The Wings Flap.” I called out.

He gave me a strange expression, then did exactly what I said. Then he looked back at me with the same bizarre expression. 

“what's with these?” Despite his frank phrasing, there was no disdain in his voice. Just curiosity and another emotion I can’t place. Nostalgia? Wistfulness? Whatever it was it was borderline sad and was making me uncomfortable in a hurry.

“I Made Them At First To Add Color To The Room,” What was with the look he's giving me? “Now There Here If You Wanna Break Something You Can Rip Them Up.”

With another odd look, aimed at me. Con spoke. “i like em’. they’re real nice.” He chuckled a bit. “i can keep my intrusive thoughts in control…” He trailed off and his expression got a bit pinched. He made a vague hand gesture. “most of the time.” He lamely tacked on to the ending after thinking for a bit.

“bah, that's enough feeling shit.” He used gravity magic to pull the new leg out of the bitty store bag. “help me get this thing on.” 

He plopped down sitting on the coffee table, attempting to wrestle his attachment off. I kneeled down and carefully removed it.

“Why Did You Leave The Knife On In The First Place?” I slide the new leg in place, checking to see if everything clicked so it doesnt fall off.

Con gave me an off kilter smile, closed his eyes and shrugged. 

“wanted to see if i could.” The finality of the look he gave me told me distinctly that this was the defianant end of this particular conversation. 

I gave a rather uncomfortable noncommittal shrug. What the fuck was I supose to say to that. Does he have an agenda? What is he looking for? What did he expect?

Probably the same thing I did when I first came here, a lack of control. He was testing what he could control most likely. I didn't do the same, but I get the feeling. I should reassure him.

I put a careful hand on his shoulder. “You are free to do whatever that is you choses.” I give a tentative smile. Stars I am not used to small acts, or sensitive topics, or interacting with people with subtleness. 

Con smiles and stands up, then pats me so hard on the back I nearly fall over. 

“Yer a good kid.” He said with a bright smile, and a little louder than normal.

Um. “Thanks.” Fuck this is akward. How do you talk to people? Waves did most of the work the first time? This is so fucking hard? 

I clap my hands together and rearrange my face to look less awkward and uncomfortable. “Would You Like To See Our Room? We Have An Entire Guest Room To Ourselves!” With a nice amount of pep in my voice.

“fuck it up kid.” He had a bright smile. “where we staying.”

I walk off the table to the floor with an air staircase, and Con teleports behind me. I walk a brisk pace. Not fast enough to leave him behind but not slow enough where we could get in a rather awkward conversation again. 

I push open the ajar door and lead him into our room.

Yeah our room.

I have a roommate.

That’s nice.

I politely cough to get his attention. “I'm Not Going To Bore You, I'm Sure You’d Want To Look Around, So I’ll Give You A Quick Rundown.”

I turn to him so it would be easier to point to where I'm talking about. 

“The Shower And Bath Are In The Bathroom Of Course.” I point to the bed. “Behind The Bed Is All Our Stuff On Top Of The Table” 

I made the universal follow me gesture, and walked over to the bed. 

“This Is Where I Sleep. I Made Another Sleeping And Living Area Under The Bed In Case You Don't Wanna Be Up Here With Me, Or Wanted Some Privacy."

Con gave me another one of his odd looks. “why do you talk so quietly? the curly isn't here? yeah?”

I very obviously avoid looking at him, and give a rather noncommittal shrug. “Force Of Habit.”

He glares his eyes and makes his mouth into a tight grin, the skeleton equivalent of a frown. 

“it’s not healthy to speak out of case.” He said plainly.

He hums a bit. “it’s not like anyone is gonna be annoyed by it. i don't mind and that shye lady is deaf.” He shrugged a ‘this isn't a suggestion’ way.

I frown. “RIGHT.” I shift uncomfortably. Of course it felt more natural to talk like this, but…

“I’M NOT BEING TOO LOUD AM I.” I know I shouldn't be self conscious of my volume, I am part of the loud type after all. 

“nah yer fine kid. don’t even worry like that.” 

Con stretches and flops on the bed. “imma take a fuckin nap.” He rolls over. “wake me up in an hour. k?”

I nod and Con immedly passes out, and I am left alone.

I need to text waves about all of this, what a fucking trip.


End file.
